


For Your Eyes Only

by iamhollsteintrash



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-02 01:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5229101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamhollsteintrash/pseuds/iamhollsteintrash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashlyn Harris doesn't date, but with her friend's wedding coming up, she needs a date to avoid embarrassing herself. After a fortuitous set of circumstances, an adventurous wedding planner steps up to the plate. Can they pull a fast one on an entire wedding party?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stag No More

“It’s not that I _can’t,_ ” Ashlyn whines, staring at the invitation on the refrigerator, cradling her phone between her cheek and her shoulder. “It’s that I don’t want to.”  


Abby laughs from the other end. Ashlyn knows how dumb she’s being, complaining about being given a plus one. It’s dumb to complain about being gently told that it might be in her best interest to bring someone. Nobody wants her to end up like she did at Abby’s wedding, tie undone and leaning against the bar before bringing a bridesmaid up to her hotel room.

 

“It’s not to offend you,” Abby says, voice calm and even, starkly contrasting Ashlyn’s almost shrill annoyance. “They just want you to have someone to hang out with. Weddings are way less fun when you’re alone, we both know that. And you can’t sleep with every bridesmaid you meet.”

 

“That doesn’t mean I can’t try!”

 

“I mean, you can try. But you could bring a date and still try. Bring someone who doesn’t care if you try to sleep with someone else.”

 

Ashlyn groans, her watch beeping once on her wrist to signal her alarm. She’s due at work in 15 minutes.

 

“I’ve got to go to work, thanks for not being helpful at all,” she says, hoping Abby can hear the joke in her voice before hanging up.

 

She looks at the invitation again. Kelley and Ann had _finally_ decided to pull the trigger on tying the knot. Ashlyn saw the post on Facebook, a grainy video of Kelley proposing to Ann on some dimly lit beach and Ann of course leaping into her arms. Ashlyn had watched the video three times before liking it, cradling a sweating beer in her one-bedroom apartment. She distinctly remembered leaning back in her office chair, staring at the ceiling fan spinning above her, and wondering how on earth she was the only one of her friends still single.

 

_I’m a fucking catch_ , she had thought, before picking up her phone and swiping through Tinder.

 

It had been nine months since that happy occasion (which ended in Ashlyn tangled up with another woman, barely remembering to fire off a congratulatory text to her college friend), and Ashlyn had almost thought they had quietly broken it off before she got the thick cream envelope in her mailbox. Ann had made a note on her invite, underlining in red the _plus one_ written in looped cursive. She had scribbled underneath the beautiful language a hasty _please!!_ which Ashlyn had ignored. When she RSVP’d, she RSVP’d for one, just as she had with every other wedding she attended that year.

Two months before the wedding, Kelley had called.  
  


“So Ann has you down with a plus one but I have a feeling that’s not what you RSVP’d with.”

 

“Yeah,” Ashlyn had said around a mouthful of takeout Chinese food. “Unless I messed up when responding. But I’m coming alone.”

 

“Okay, I’m just checking. I’ll let Ann know.”

 

One month before the wedding, Kelley called again.

 

“So Ann said she’s left you down with a plus one. And that you can choose to bring one or not but there will be an empty seat next to you if you don’t bring one. And we’re paying for the plate so. Please bring someone.”

 

Ashlyn had groaned.

 

“I’m pretty sure your fiancée wants me dead, Kelley.”

 

“Not dead… just not fucking our bridesmaids. That shit stops being cute when you turn 30.”

 

That was what prompted the call to Abby. Ashlyn couldn’t bitch about it to the people actually getting married, but she had to bitch about it to _somebody_. After hanging up, Ashlyn had shoved her phone in her pocket with her keys and money clip and headed to work.

\---

It’s not a long walk to work, just down a set of stairs, actually. The tattoo parlor is buzzing, literally and figuratively, when Ashlyn opens the door that leads from her apartment into the parlor.

Ashlyn moved in above the shop a year ago, after she finally saved enough from tending bar at night and tattooing during the day to buy a share of the shop from her boss. Six years after moving to Los Angeles with nothing but a suitcase, Ashlyn was able to move into a place with a  _bed_ and not just a futon.

She loves her job, as hard as the work was at first. Her artists are smart and talented and seem to enjoy enough working for her. Her time is split about 60/40 doing paperwork and actually giving tattoos, but even the days she spends going through the tills and making phone calls don’t seem arduous when she’s in the environment she worked so hard to build. It helps that the girls who came in sometimes needed someone to hold their hands.

  
One of Ashlyn’s favorite regulars, an enthusiastic photographer who puts every important occasion on his body (much like herself), is her first appointment of the day. He’s grown into a friend over the two years, exchanging numbers to meet for coffee and hanging out in the shop when they’re both free. He’s a success story if she’s ever seen one – pulling himself from addiction to get clean and start fresh. In a town like Los Angeles, that’s a hard conviction to stick to, but he excels.

He’s only there for a sketch, but his ideas are often so scattered that it takes a few hours to put them together into something cohesive. Kyle hops up from the chair he’s scrolling through his phone in as soon as Ashlyn reaches the front of the shop. She pulls him into a hug, the traditional handshake abandoned four tattoos ago.

 

“So. What’s the occasion this time?”

 

“Coming up on my five-year anniversary, actually.”

 

“Five years,” Ashlyn says, running her hand through her hair. It’s hard to imagine being sober that long. “Holy shit.”

 

“Right? I think it’s tattoo-worthy.”

 

“Everything’s tattoo-worthy, dude,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

It takes about an hour to sketch out the piece Kyle wants, which is elaborate but greyscale, same as all the other work he’s had done. As they wrap up they catch up, and Ashlyn is able to vent momentarily to the only other single person in her life.

 

“I got invited to my friend’s wedding and they basically told me I had to bring a plus one, which I cannot do.”

 

Kyle laughs. “Are you breaking too many hearts when you go stag?”  


“It’s really not on purpose, I just don’t really like, well I’m not very good at dating.”

 

“So you’re an asshole. That’s what you’re telling me.”

 

“I’m not an asshole!”

 

Ashlyn’s on the defensive almost immediately, she can feel it in the way her shoulders tighten.

 

“I just don’t want to lead someone on when I barely know them! If I have to bring a date, I’d… almost rather bring a guy.”

 

She looks up, meeting Kyle’s eyes at the same moment his thought process matches hers.

 

“No fucking way,” he says, throwing his hands up. “First of all, I am your _customer._ I feel like we’d be breaching some sort of client artist contract or something. Second of all, I do not _need_ to be nor do I _want_ to be your wing man at a wedding full of people I don’t know.”

 

Ashlyn leans on the countertop, burying her face in her hands.

 

“It’s in two weeks and I thought I could just ignore it, but there’s nothing more pathetic than being someone with an empty chair beside them.”

 

Ashlyn can see the gears turning in Kyle’s head. He thinks for a minute before speaking again.

 

“I might be able to help you.”

 

“Do you have some miraculous queer friend you’ve forgotten about until this very second?”

 

“Well, no,” he says, speaking slowly. “But I have a sister.”

 

Ashlyn stands up straight again.

 

“A sister.”

 

“Look, I wouldn’t even suggest her if it weren’t for the circumstances. You’re really pathetic when you’re putting on that ‘woe is me’ act. She’s a wedding planner and maybe she wouldn’t mind going and writing it off.”

 

“Is she cute? Is she even gay? Or local?”

 

Kyle holds one hand up again, reaching into his pocket for his phone again.

 

“Slow down. I’m going to text her and see what she’s doing in… when’s the wedding?”

 

“Two weeks.”

 

“In two weeks, holy shit. You’re really not a planner, are you?”

 

Ashlyn crosses her arms, trying not to glare at the man who might save her social life.

 

“Listen to me, if she’s around, I’ll give her your number and you two can work out. But understand this, if you fuck around with Ali, she won’t put up with it and neither will I. So no funny business.”

 

He’s smiling but his tone is serious and Ashlyn nods solemnly.

 

“I won’t fuck your sister. Or fuck around with your sister, I promise.”

\--

 Ashlyn spends the rest of the day trying not to compulsively check her phone. She tries to contribute while the rest of her coworkers talk over coffee and cigarettes, but can’t seem to keep her attention in one place. At the end of the day, when Ashlyn locks the doors and returns to her apartment, her phone buzzes with the text she’s been waiting for.

 

_Hey, this is Ali, Kyle’s brother. I hope I have the right number!_  
  


Ashlyn opens it and waits a minute to respond. She almost considers waiting until the next morning to answer, a move she’s used to avoid seeming eager, before Kyle’s words ring through her head. She types out a quick response.

 

_Hey! This is the right number. Did Kyle fill you in?_

_All he told me is his single friend needs a date to a wedding. And I told him I love weddings._

_That’s me, I’m the single friend. Are you free that whole weekend?_

_I work for myself haha, so I can be if you need me to be._

Waiting for texts is trying Ashlyn’s patience, and she can’t help but feel nervous about organizing a wedding date with a stranger via text, so she presses call on the still umarked number in her phone. Ali picks up after two rings.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey… this is Ashlyn. I just didn’t really want to make plans like this through text.”

 

Ashlyn can hear papers rustling on the other side.

 

“But if you’re busy, I could call back later it’s not a big deal.”

 

“No, no it’s fine I should stop working for the night anyway.”

 

Her tone is reassuring as the papers rustling stops.

 

“So the wedding is in two weeks? This is a little short notice to be looking for a date isn’t it? Is there something incredibly undesirable about you I should know?”

 

Ashlyn tries not to laugh.

 

“No, nothing undesirable. Just no romantic prospects.”

 

“Well I wouldn’t call myself a romantic prospect,” Ali says, and Ashlyn’s not sure if she’s imagining the smug tone on the other end.

 

“Not yet anyway,” Ashlyn quips back. Ali’s quiet for a second and Ashlyn clears her throat.

 

“That was a joke, I promise. I’m under strict orders from your brother.”

 

“Are you now?”

 

“I am. Explicit orders not to fuck around with you.”

 

“Very interesting.”

 

Ashlyn hesitates for a second, chewing on her bottom lip before speaking again.

 

“I’m really busy during the day for the next two weeks, but if you want to meet up and talk about this, maybe you could come over one night this week? I can order a pizza or something. We should at least try to get to know each other, right?”

 

“Do you want me to bring Kyle?”

 

“If that will make you more comfortable, do whatever you’ve got to do. I know that this is weird and awkward and I can’t believe you’re willing to do it, so whatever makes you feel good about it.”

 

“I’m going to trust you’re not a serial killer and not drag Kyle along. How about tomorrow night?”

 

“Definitely not a serial killer, I promise. But tomorrow night is good. I’ll text you my address?”

 

“Sounds good,” she pauses. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ashlyn.”

\--- 

“So you’re taking a fake date to Kelley and Ann’s wedding. Kyle’s friend?”

 

“Sister.”

 

“Sister. Foolproof. And you’re having her over tonight?” Pinoe asks, sipping Keurig coffee from a paper cup in between appointments. Ashlyn nods. She raises her eyebrows, hesitating for a minute before speaking again.

 

“Is she cute?”  


“I haven’t looked yet. I’m nervous to.”

 

“Have you cleaned your apartment?”

 

“I straightened it out,” Ashlyn says, leaning against the counter.

 

“Okay, Ash, I’m going to be straight with you. For once in my life I’m going to be straight. You’d better sandblast that apartment before this girl comes over or she’s not going to come through the door, let alone to a wedding on your arm.”

 

Pinoe had been one of the friends Ashlyn had crashed with when she first moved to LA, when they were both living the single life. Then Pinoe linked up with a folk singer from Seattle and settled down and Ashlyn had moved to a different couch. Ashlyn kept her on when she bought out the shop and she’s one of the artists who will be unapologetically honest with her all the time. Like right now, when she tells Ashlyn her apartment is a mess.

 

And maybe the apartment _is_ a little messy – there’s some coffee cups in the sink, Chinese food in the fridge that’s a little questionable, jackets slung over the back of the couch, her bed unmade and shorts strewn across the floor. Maybe there are stacks of surfing magazines on the coffee table.

 

“Okay. So maybe it’s not the best place for a first impression.”  


“It could be!” Pinoe exclaims, tossing her cup in the garbage and walking to the front desk. “You just need to clean it. Do you own a vacuum?”

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “I’m an adult. I own a vacuum.” _I think it works._

Pinoe thumbs through the day’s schedule. “You’re done with consults at 3. Go upstairs, clean your damn house, and then come get me when you’re done so I can check it.”

 

And so she does, spending three hours cleaning every inch of an apartment she didn’t know could be cleaned so thoroughly. When she thinks it’s done, tossing t-shirts and boxer briefs in her hamper, rinsing down the dishes in the sink and putting them in the drying rack, shoving the magazines into empty drawers in her coffee table, she gets Pinoe, who stands in the doorway, hands on her hips before passing judgment.

 

“Did you vacuum?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

“I can tell.”

 

Ashlyn shifts back and forth on her heels, more nervous than she feels she should rationally be. Pinoe is being dramatic, walking slowly through the rooms of the apartment. Ashlyn waits at the door, cracking her knuckles. When Pinoe returns, she has a list.

 

“Not that I think you’re going to get this girl in your bedroom tonight, but you need to put an air freshener in there. And vacuum the room, wipe down your counters, and take your trash out so she doesn’t figure out you live off of bananas and takeout.”

 

Ashlyn knows she’s more invested in meeting Ali than she should be – who cares, really, about a one time only wedding date. And yet, she finds herself trying to figure out her vacuum and trying to find the best pizza place in a ten mile radius.

-

At 7PM on the dot, Ashlyn’s phone rings. She’s spent the last hour trying to sit still and not make a mess of her freshly apple-scented apartment. When Ali texted she was on her way, Ashlyn had asked what she liked on her pizza so she could order. The response had made her grin.

 

_Anything but pineapple._

 

“Hey, what’s up?”

 

“It’s Ali. I’m here, I think. The door is locked.”

 

Ashlyn jumps up, checking one more time that the buttons on her shirt are done up right.

 

“Shit, yeah, I’m on my way down.”

 

She nearly trips down the stairs, taking a deep breath before throwing open the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashlyn and Ali have dinner and hatch a plan.

Kyle’s one of those people who turns heads when you see him on the street, he’s tall with great hair and a nice body. He’s the focus of attention more often than not when Ashlyn and him go out, and while Ashlyn has a formidable social media following from both running the shop and generally being _really_ goodlooking, Kyle’s got a YouTube channel and people recognize him on the street. Ashlyn would venture to bet he’s one of the more beautiful men she’s ever known.

But the girl standing there Ashlyn throws open the front door could render him invisible. She’s stunning, beautiful, hot all at once. Ashlyn can’t avert her eyes from the leggy brunette with tight jeans and a white t-shirt, but can’t bring herself to speak either. 

“Hey,” Ashlyn is able to get out, scrambling to collect herself. “Thanks for coming by.”  
  


Ali smiles, extending a hand for Ashlyn to shake. "Thanks for having me. Kyle said he's never even seen your apartment so I must be getting the royal treatment."  

  
Ashlyn smirks, already feeling more at ease, shaking Ali’s hand. Her grip is firm.  
  
  
"I guess I do tend to treat pretty girls a little differently than I treat him."   
  


"I'm going to tell him you said that."  
  
  
"I'm pretty sure he already knows," Ashlyn says, winking.  
  
  
Ali holds up a brown paper bag. “I brought wine. I know pizza’s not really wine food but I wanted to bring something.”   
  


“I’m never going to turn down free wine. The door should be open.”  
  


Ali’s smile a thousand watts as Ashlyn gestures for her to head up the stairs. She takes the steps two at a time and it takes all the respect Ashlyn has not to stare as she goes. As she follows, Ashlyn decides to send Kyle a text. It helps her avert her eyes.

 

_You didn’t tell me she was hot!_

Ali drops her purse beside the door and turns to face Ashlyn, pointing at her feet, wearing very cute brown booties that must add an inch to her height.

 

“Are you a shoes off person?”

 

“Um, it’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Ashlyn says, closing the door behind her. “Make yourself comfortable.”

 

Ali leans on the wall to pull her boots off, one hand keeping her hair out of her face. She’s the kind of girl Ashlyn’s had over a million times before, she can tell already. Her hair is perfect, her makeup is flawless, and her nails are painted without a chip in sight – although they are cut to the quick, which is a good sign. Ashlyn tries not to stare, moving around her to get to the kitchen.

 

“Do you want me to open this or wait until the pizza gets here? I think it’ll be here in the next 10 minutes. I tried to time it right, but I obviously kind of failed.”

 

“I mean, if we’re going to get drunk at a wedding together we should probably find out what that’s going to look like, right?”

 

She heads to the couch in her socks as Ashlyn digs through her silverware drawer for a corkscrew. Ali's no stranger to making herself at home, apparently, nestling herself in the corner of the couch, pressed against the arm rest. Ashlyn raises her eyebrows at the beautiful brunette typing intently into her phone before turning to the cupboard to pull glasses.  
  


“I don’t have any wine glasses to be honest with you. I’m not really a wine gal. So don’t judge my juice glasses, okay?”  
  


Ali laughs. “I won’t, I promise.”  
  


Ashlyn pours glasses of wine that are probably a little bit too big, carrying them both carefully back to the couch and handing one to Ali. Ali sips it, very ladylike, and goes to place it on the coffee table before pausing.

 

“Do you have coasters?”

 

“Um,” Ashlyn rubs the back of her neck with one hand. “I can’t say that I do. Do you want me to get some paper towel or something?”

 

“No, no,” Ali answers, carefully placing her glass on the table. “I just know I don’t like when people don’t ask for a coaster so I didn’t want to be that person.” Her tone is clipped, and Ashlyn can feel the judgment. Over coasters. _Yikes_.

 

“So,” Ashlyn says, clearing her throat after what was probably too big of a gulp of wine. “This wedding.”

 

“This wedding.”

 

“You’re sure you want to go?”

 

“I love weddings. Well, it’s kind of my business to love weddings,” she says, smirking. “I’d love to go.”

 

“Okay, but you barely know me and you don’t know anyone who’s going to be there. And it’s in Georgia.”

 

Ali’s eyebrows shoot up. “Kyle didn’t say anything about Georgia.”

 

“To his credit, I didn’t say anything to him about Georgia either. It’s all happened kind of quickly, you know.”

 

At that moment, Ashlyn’s phone rings again, this time definitely the pizza guy. She hops up, grabbing cash off the counter.

 

“I guess I’ll give you a couple minutes to stew it over? I’m going to grab the pizza.”

 

She takes her time getting down the stairs, phone in hand. She carefully counts the money for the pizza delivery boy, giving him a generous tip before checking her phone as she walks up the stairs. Two texts from Kyle since Ali arrived.

 

_She’s my sister!!_

Then, a few minutes later.

 

_Georgia?!?!_

Ashlyn heads back into the apartment, shutting the door with her foot and opting out of holding eye contact with Ali to move through the kitchen, looking for a pizza cutter.

 

“That’s why I asked if you were free the whole weekend. It’s in Georgia, which I know is a total hike. But it’s my best friend’s wedding and they’re basically insisting I bring a date. I will completely understand if you don’t want to come now but I can definitely help with airfare and the hotel room is already paid for but I completely understand.”

 

It’s hard to talk without the words coming out too fast, but when Ashlyn returns to Ali, she’s smiling, her eyes soft. Ali points at the table.

 

“You’d better put that pizza down so we can figure out how we’re going to tell people we met.”

 

Ashlyn does as she’s told, opening the box and sitting gingerly on the couch.

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“If your friends are going to make you bring a date, you’re going to bring the hottest date in the room and we’re going to be so damn cute they’re in awe.”

\-- 

Ali is almost verging on flirty as the night continues, a little too excited about being Ashlyn’s fake date and a little bit wine drunk. Ashlyn learns her fake date is a lightweight pretty quickly, 2 glasses of wine in. Ashlyn catches herself flirting back a few times, stopping herself when she remembers Kyle’s demands.

  
After a few ridiculous suggestions (“You saved me from a house fire,” “I was your waiter while you were on a terrible date”), a bottle of wine that disappears far too quickly, and three quarters of a pizza, they decide on a story. Ashlyn writes it down so that when the haze clears, they both remember. Ali has inched across the couch in the hour it took for the walls to come down, her knee pressing against Ashlyn’s as she scribbles on a napkin that came with the pizza.

 

“So, we met downstairs?”  


“Yes, definitely.”  


“And I was tattooing Kyle. And you came to pick him up.”

 

“Right.”

 

“And when I saw you?”  


“When you saw me,” Ali says, resting her hand on Ashlyn’s knee and grinning, her tongue between her teeth. “You were so overcome with my beauty you wouldn’t let him leave until he gave you my phone number.”

  
Ashlyn rolls her eyes.

 

“And we kept it a secret because?”

 

“You didn’t want anyone to find out about us until you were _sure_ we were going to work. And now you’re sure. In fact, you’re _so_ excited your friends get to meet me because you’re pretty sure I might be _the one_.”

 

She’s laying it on thick, too smug for her own good.

 

“Easy there, tiger,” Ashlyn says, shifting her knee from under Ali’s hand. “Maybe let me do the talking once you get a couple of drinks in you?”

 

Ali is bashful, her already ruddy cheeks turning redder. She's cute and she knows it, even a little bit wine drunk. Ashlyn can already hear in her head what Abby and Kelley and Ann are going to say when they meet her.  
  


_A little conservative for you, isn't she?_

_I didn't know princesses were your type._  
  
  
But she's fun and she's smart and she's absolutely beautiful. And she might be good enough at acting to make everyone believe Ashlyn's not going to die alone. 

- 

Ali hugs her goodbye before leaving, promising to try and get on the same flight. She smells like red wine and expensive perfume. Apparently, wedding planning is lucrative enough that she can afford spontaneous trips across the country. Or, like her brother, she still has her father’s credit card number memorized.

 

“So I’ll text you when I get my ticket and then we’ll meet at the airport?” Ali asks, after requesting an Uber to the apartment.

 

“Sure, yeah,” Ashlyn walks her down the stairs, leaning against the doorframe as Ali steps onto the sidewalk. “And you know I’m going to need a bit of a debrief on you before we get there so this doesn’t fail miserably.”

  
Ali’s smile is a thousand watts.

 

“How long’s the flight to Georgia? I’ll tell you my life story on the way there, if you think you can remember it.”

 

“I could never forget anything coming from someone as beautiful as you.”

 

Ali shoves Ashlyn, and for a minute Ashlyn forgets their circumstances, she forgets to speak altogether, thanking God and Kyle in the same thought for a beautiful fake date who may not actually be a dud. When Ali’s Uber arrives, she waves goodbye, promising again to text when she gets her plane ticket. After Ashlyn shuts the door, she presses her head against the banister of the staircase, trying to clear her head enough to put a single thought together.

 

_I’m going to fly across the country to fake date Kyle’s hot sister._

She says it again out loud, sure it can’t be as insane as it sounds in her head. But it is, and she’s pretty sure she is, but that means Ali Krieger is too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm going to update this & Stood Up ASAP, but it might take a big because of my finals coming up. However, for the end of December and first three weeks of January I am alllllll yours. 
> 
> Thank you, as always, for your feedback. So much love. x


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip begins!

_Send me a picture of your suit!_   
  


Ali Krieger is bossy, Ashlyn has learned that quickly. Within twenty-four hours of booking a seat next to Ashlyn on the flight (which, according to Kyle, involved her begging the airline to let her sit next to her fiancée), Ali is dress shopping. Apparently big on coordination, her text is the latest after a string of demands about the color of her tie and pocket square and cufflinks.  
  


“Bit off more than you can chew?” Pinoe asks when Ashlyn returns from the mad dash to her apartment to take a picture of the suit hanging in her closet, burgundy tie draped over the shoulder of her blazer.

   
“Not more than I can chew,” Ashlyn replies, putting her phone on silent and sliding it into the pocket of her jeans. “Just more than I’m used to.”  
 

“Have you packed coordinating outfits for the whole weekend?” Pinoe’s tone is teasing, and Ashlyn is too embarrassed to admit that Ali had suggested just that. It took about half an hour of responding to streams of texts with the word _no_ for Ali to give that one up.

 

“Is she at least single? Or are you killing yourself for someone completely unattainable?”

 

“I don’t… I don’t really know actually.”

 

“Is she gay?”

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “Everyone’s gay, aren’t you the one who says that?”

 

“Everyone’s gay except really straight girls. Really straight girls fuck you and use the story to get their boyfriends off.”

 

Ashlyn crinkles her nose. “You’re disgusting.”

 

“I’m right. If you don’t know she’s gay or bi or whatever, you have to ask. Otherwise we both know you’re going to come home from this trip pissy and resentful.”

 

When Ashlyn returns home, she tries to figure out how to ask, how to edge around it. As the night gets later and Ashlyn has a couple of beers in her, she types out the text.

 

_So. Am I your only girlfriend?_

Not straightforward enough.

 

_Do I have any competition?_

Too possessive. At the end of the night, Ashlyn tucks her phone away. Maybe some things are better left unknown.

\-- 

Abby calls while Ashlyn is on the way to the airport, running twenty minutes late in an Uber that’s stuck in Los Angeles traffic.

 

“Hey, I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re going to get on the flight okay. I just got in, HAO and Whit and Alex are here so far. Everyone’s trying to figure out what you’re going to dig up in terms of a date. Text me when you land!”

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes, firing off a text. She had told Kelley and Ann she had a date, but not much more, much to Ann’s annoyance (“but the placards!”).

 

_Flight’s in a few hours! We’ll see you soon! Xoxo_

 

When the car finally pulls up in front of the terminal, Ashlyn jumps out, grabbing her things as fast as she can and racing into the terminal. Ali is sitting on a bench beside the door, a cup of coffee in one hand, her phone in the other. Beside her is a suitcase and a full carry on, making Ashlyn’s single bag look paltry in comparison. She doesn’t see Ashlyn approaches, too absorbed in her phone.

 

“You know this is only a three-day trip, right?”

 

Ali’s smile is sly as she stands up, gesturing at the jeans and Penn State sweatshirt combo she has on, her hair and makeup impeccable even at 7am.

 

“Ashlyn, it took me half an hour to put _this_ together. Wait until you see what it takes for a wedding look.”

 

Ashlyn raises one eyebrow. “I guess in that case, after you.”

 

She follows Ali onto the security line, pulling up her boarding pass on her phone as Ali downs the end of her coffee and tosses it in the garbage, under the watchful eye of a TSA agent.

 

“So Penn State?”  
  
  
“Damn straight,” Ali smirks. “How about you?”  
 

“I went a couple of places. I went to two different school freshman and sophomore year, then settled for junior and senior. That's where I met everyone who's going to be there this weekend.”  
  


“So lots of college merchandise?"  
  
  
"Why else would I do it?" Ashlyn says with a wink.  
  
  
"And then what?”

  
"Like in terms of work? Then I worked for the corporate part of a surf company after graduation for a few years. It was miserable. And then after that I just decided I was going to leave and do something I loved a little bit more. Slowed down my loan payments though.”  
  


“And what you loved was… tattoos?”

 

“Nah. Jobs are just kind of a means to an end, you know? You do what you have to do to live the life you want to live.”  
  


They’ve made their way to the front of the security line, both having their boarding passes and IDs scanned and settling into the flurried silence of airport security. As Ashlyn slips her feet back into her sneakers, watching Ali lacing hers while neglecting to do the same, Ali speaks again.  
  
  
“So what exactly is it that you’re doing the whole tattoo thing for?”  
  


“I like to be able to spend time with my friends, I like to be my own boss. I like to make other people feel good. Giving tattoos gives me the means to do a lot of that.”  
  


Ali laughs as they walk towards the gate, weaving through crowds of people cradling coffee and trying to wake up, just to fall asleep when the plane takes off.  
 

“I never thought tattoos made people feel good.”  
  


Ashlyn uses her free hand to point at the ink poking out from Ali’s rolled up sleeve, what looks like looped cursive.  
  


“Are you going to tell me you didn’t feel really good about that when it healed? About what it means to you?"  
 

Ali shrugs. “I guess you’re right.”  
  


Ashlyn diverts their course, all but herding Ali to the line for Starbucks. Ali doesn’t protest.  
 

“I think this is the part where you tell me what that is, right?”  


Ali rolls her sleeve up further, showing looped cursive reading _Liebe_.  
  


“It means love in German. I lived there for a little bit after college and when I got home I wanted something to remember it by.”  
  


“Is that your only one?”  
  


“Nope, I’ve got two more. One here,” she says, placing her hand beneath her arm. “And one on my hip.”

   
“And what are those?”  
  


“The big one is some lines from my favorite book in German and the one on my hip is my number from college.”  
  


“Which is?”  


“22. It was my mom’s number when she played.”  
  


“Well look at you, building a dynasty.”  
 

“I hope so.”  
  


There’s a moment of comfortable silence before Ashlyn steps to the counter, ordering a large black coffee before nodding at Ali. “What are you getting?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got it.”  
 

“Ali, you’re flying across the country with me. Let me buy you coffee.”  
  


Ali orders something so fast that Ashlyn’s relieved when the barista reads it back to her as a vanilla latte with no whip. As they wait, Ashlyn dumps some of the overfilled cup into the trash and pours half and half into her cup.  
  


“So why’d you stop?”  


“Stop what?”  
  


“Playing soccer.”

  
“I went abroad and played after college and I guess I missed out on getting scouted by the National Team because of it. So I just kind of played there until it felt like it was time to come home.”  


“And home is Virginia, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“And how’d you end up in Los Angeles?”

 

“I just wanted to be close to my brother while he was getting clean. And there’s a lot of expensive weddings to be planned out here for sure. So I get a nicer commission check than I would planning for WASPs on the East Coast.”

 

Ashlyn can’t help but laugh a little bit as Ali heads to the counter to fetch her drink. If the perfectly prim and proper Ali Krieger, every hair in place, didn’t consider herself a WASP, she can only imagine what she does.

 

After she gets her coffee, they head to the gate with another half an hour to spare before the flight takes off. Ashlyn settles into a chair at the gate, dropping her bag between her legs. When Ali settles in beside her, Ashlyn decides to ask the question that’s been in the back of her head.

 

“So, uh, outside of this weird stuff. Do you have a real better half?”

 

“A real better half?”

 

“A girlfriend – boyfriend. Whatever. A real one.”

 

“I was wondering when you were going to ask that.”  
 

Ashlyn looks down at her hands, adjusting her watch on her wrist as she does, feeling kind of embarrassed.  
 

“That’s not really an answer, is it?”  
 

“My last relationship was with a guy. But I don’t really think there’s a point in defining sexuality. I just like to be with people I think are attractive.”  
 

“Cool.”  
  


There’s a moment of not uncomfortable, but not entirely comfortable silence before Ali speaks again, softly.  
  


“I get if you think that’s off putting. Some girls do. Some guys do too. But mostly girls.”  


“Not at all, I think it’s interesting,” Ashlyn replies, trying not to seem overenthusiastic, twisting her body in the airport chair to meet Ali’s eyes. “I think it’s cool you don’t want to put yourself in a box.”  
  


“Me too.”  
  


She’s beautiful. Aesthetically, of course, she’s stunning, long hair and perfect tan and twinkling eyes, but Ashlyn knew that from the moment she opened her front door. But she’s also smart and thoughtful, pausing to think when Ashlyn asks her questions, never answering too quickly. She even thinks carefully when Ashlyn asks her what her favorite junk food is (peanut butter cookies) and what kind of car she drives (a BMW). When she smiles, which she does whenever she sees Ashlyn nodding along, her tongue pokes through her teeth and her nose scrunches up. Her laugh is musical.

 

When they settle into their seats on the plane, Ali’s calm demeanor changes. She’s all restless legs in the window seat, tapping a restless rhythm on the armrest between her and Ashlyn. After a second of hesitation, Ashlyn places her hand over Ali’s, mostly wanting to stop the movement for just a second, but also wanting to provide some comfort.

 

“Are you not a good flier?” she asks, trying to keep her voice down in the loud cabin.

 

“I’m not great in tight spaces,” Ali replies, her voice measured but her eyes betraying her nerves. She hasn’t moved her hand from under Ashlyn’s. “I can usually fall asleep after takeoff but takeoff and landing are not my best moments.”

 

“Alright well,” Ashlyn says, not even fully thinking as she actually takes hold of Ali’s hand. “I’m right here. And I guess we were going to have to learn how to hold hands eventually, right?”

 

Ali’s laugh is weak, but she’s smiling, which is a good sign.

 

“Are you a fingers interlocked girl?” she says, intertwining her fingers with Ashlyn’s before turning her hand so their hands are clasped together. “Or a clasped hands kind of girl?”

 

“Interlocked,” Ashlyn says, re-threading her fingers with Ali’s, staring intently at her hand and praying that the beautiful brunette can’t see her blush. “But not usually with strangers on planes.”

 

“I am _not_ a stranger,” Ali says, elbowing Ashlyn. “At least you can’t act like I am in a few hours.”  
 

 “I guess you’re right,” Ashlyn laughs, hesitating for a moment before finishing. “Babe.”

 

“Now you’re getting it,” Ali says with a wink.

 

“I have a feeling you’re going to be better at this than me.”

 

“I’ll do what I can to make you look good.”

 

Ali is smug, and Ashlyn has a hard time not finding it attractive, apologizing mentally to Kyle before speaking again.

 

“I’m pretty sure I’ll pale next to you no matter what, princess.”

 

After the requisite safety demonstrations, the lights flicker as the plane begins to take off. Ali stares out the window intently, never moving her hand from Ashlyn’s. As the plane takes off, Ashlyn swears she feels Ali’s grip tighten ever so slightly. She doesn’t release Ashlyn’s hand until the plane levels out and she’s leaning against the window, asleep from the din of the engine. Ashlyn pulls her headphones over her ears, white noise piping from the speakers as she drifts off to sleep. 

\--

“Ashlyn. Ash. Ashlyn.”  
  


Ashlyn wakes up to Ali’s gentle nudge, having tugged her headphone off one ear. Ali’s face is close to hers and it takes a minute for Ashlyn to get her bearings enough to realize where she is.  
 

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she tries to keep panic out of her voice.  
  


Ali smiles, jerking her chin at the flight attendant standing in the aisle. “I’m fine. Do you want something to drink?”  
 

Ashlyn turns to the flight attendant. “Water would be amazing.”  
  


The flight attendant hands her a water bottle and passes one over her to Ali. When she wheels to the next set of seats, Ashlyn turns to Ali.  
 

“That’s why you woke me up?”  
 

“Well yeah. And I’m bored.”  
 

“And how am I supposed to help with that?”  
  


“I want to know about your friends,” Ali says, gently resting her hand on Ashlyn’s forearm. The contact isn’t unwelcome, she almost _likes_ it, but Ashlyn is beginning to wonder if they’re going to spend the whole weekend awkwardly touching arms.

 

“You’re going to know about them in,” Ashlyn sighs, checking her watch. “Three hours.”

 

“Do you expect them to buy that you never told your girlfriend about your friends? Tell me about Kelley and Ann.”

 

“They’re in love and they’re getting married.”

 

“You suck. How did they meet?”

 

“In college, I think it was in some bio class. They flirted for like six months before Kelley caught on that Ann was hitting on her. She lived on my floor and I was _telling_ her over and over again that Ann was into her, but Kelley was sure she was straight. Or not interested. She switched between the two.”

 

Ali’s grip on Ashlyn’s arm tightens. “How did she figure it out?”  
 

“I bet they’re going to tell this story at the reception or something. But basically, Ann got super pissed that Kelley couldn’t figure it out and pretty much stormed down our hall one night and banged on her door.”  
  


“Oh, no.”

   
“And we were all, everyone will vouch for me on this, honestly, we were all listening with our doors cracked. Abby was my roommate at the time, you don’t know Abby but she’ll be there this weekend.” Ashlyn pauses to collect her thoughts, glancing over at Ali, who’s watching her, grinning. “What are you smiling at?”  
  


“This is a cute story! And you’re cute telling it.”  
 

Ashlyn turns red.  
 

“So anyway, Ann comes storming down our hall, bangs on Kelley’s door. Kelley answered and she’s a huge goof so she was super excited about seeing Ann. And Ann pretty much went all bad romance movie on her in the middle of the hallway, ranting and raving about having how Kelley was impossible to read and she had been waiting for her to make a move for weeks and when they spent nights laying in her bed talking all she was waiting for was for Kelley to kiss her, and I swear to God, on my honor, Kelley grabbed her and kissed her in the middle of her sentence.”  
  


“No way.”  
  


“They’ve been inseparable ever since. We were, like, 20 when they got together? And they’re finally getting married. They’re really cute together.”  
 

“Are they the last of your friend group? Besides you?”  
  


“To do what? Get married? Yeah.”  
  


“What’s that like?”  
 

“Consider this. My friends basically demanded I bring a date to this wedding.”  


Ali smirks. “Are you the one who sleeps with all the single girls?”

 

“Single isn’t usually a requirement. But I blame that on booze.”

 

“Well I’m going to make an honest woman out of you, even if it’s just for the weekend.”

 

Ali’s voice is low and Ashlyn can’t tell if she’s imagining something deeper beneath her words. She clears her throat.

 

“So. Is that enough for you to let me go back to sleep?”

  
Ali pouts. “Could we put on a movie?”

 

“And share headphones?”

 

“If that’s not too much trouble for you,” Ali says, holding out an earbud for Ashlyn. Ashlyn can’t help but smile as she takes it and puts it in her ear. She closes her eyes as Ali scrolls through the list of movies on the plane. She drifts off as the tinny opening credits begin to pipe through the speaker.

 

When the plane lands, rumbling down the runway, Ali’s voice wakes Ashlyn again. When Ashlyn opens her eyes, she realizes that she drifted off on Ali’s shoulder and sits up as quickly as she can.

 

“Comfortable? Well rested?” Ali says with a smirk.

 

“The best pillow I’ve ever had,” Ashlyn replies, rubbing the back of her aching neck. “How was the movie?”

 

“I couldn’t hear much, somebody snored right through it.”

 

They make their way off the plane, an arduous process that takes entirely too long. When they finally make their way from the gate to the baggage claim, Ashlyn shoves her reservation paperwork over the counter. While they wait for the keys, Ashlyn turns to Ali, a realization dawning on her.

 

“I only got one hotel room.”  
 

“That’s fine.”  
  
"No, I mean there's only one bed. Kyle's going to kill me."  
  


Ali raises her eyebrows, looking Ashlyn up and down. “First of all, I am my own woman. Second of all, there are worse people to share a bed with, I think.” Ashlyn can feel herself blushing at how brazen Ali is. Ali realizes this quickly and backpedals.  
  


“But I also don’t mind taking the couch or something if you’re uncomfortable. Sorry.”  
  


“No, it’s fine. Just surprised me is all.”

   
Ali spends most of the 45-minute drive from Atlanta to Peachtree City in their rented Jeep trying to find a station that plays something other than country music. Ashlyn spends most of it trying to figure out what exactly Ali wants to get out of the weekend. It could just be wedding planning, maybe a favor to her brother. But she held Ashlyn’s hand in a death grip, casually held her forearm and stared at her with stars in her eyes. Called her cute. She let Ashlyn sleep for two hours on her shoulder. She eyed her up and down and said she _wouldn’t mind_ sharing a bed. Kyle be damned, if this beautiful, brilliant girl was interested in being more than arm candy this weekend, she wouldn’t turn her down.

 

“So why are you doing this?”

 

“Why? I told you. It’s mostly because I like to learn and watch to see how I can get better.”

 

"Yeah but. Is it weird for you to go to one of these things as, like, a spectator?” Ashlyn asks, painfully aware of her body language in the car - one hand white knuckling the steering wheel, the other resting on the gear shift.

 

“Is it weird for you to watch someone get a tattoo? It’s just an opportunity to learn. A lot of times it’s a what not to do type of lesson.”

 

“So you go to terrible weddings so that you can host better ones? That feels a little like cheating.”

 

“It’s not that, I wouldn’t wish a bad wedding on anyone. But if I can help plan the best weddings in the business, why wouldn’t I?”

 

“I can’t even imagine having that kind of competitive streak.” 

 

“It’s a blessing and a curse, really.”

 

“So you said mostly. What’s the rest of the reason? An unbridled desire to visit Georgia? To meet some strangers?”

 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to spend some time with a pretty girl.”

 

There she is, being unbelievably brazen again. Ashlyn looks away from the road for just a minute to see how serious Ali is. She’s smirking down at her phone, looking at the directions.

 

“This is it,” Ali says, pointing at a hotel coming up quickly on the right. Ashlyn slows down to turn in, pulling the rental into a parking spot right out front. She spots Abby’s car, and while she hasn’t seen most of her other friends from college’s cars, she’s sure that her and Ali are among the last to arrive. She takes a deep breath as she shuts the car off before turning to Ali. 

 

“Ready for a fun weekend of lying?”

 

Ali’s eyes sparkle mischievously as she opens the door to the car. “You know it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always, sorry for the delay, I appreciate your feedback :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ali and Ashlyn try to get a little more couple-y before the big charade.

“Can I get your bag, sweetheart?” Ashlyn’s voice is syrupy sweet as she pulls Ali’s bags from the trunk of the car.

 

“Oh are we turning it on already?”

 

Ashlyn points at Abby’s car across the parking lot with her free hand.

 

“I know that at least Abby’s here.”

 

“Well then thank you, sweetheart, but let me.”

 

Ali pulls Ashlyn’s bag from her hand, slinging it over her shoulder and pulling her suitcase from Ashlyn’s grip. They walk together from across the lot to the doors, Ashlyn following Ali through the automatic doors. Ali sits on the couches in the lobby as Ashlyn checks in. As the receptionist passes two room keys over the desk, she hears Abby’s voice boom across the lobby.

 

“Harris! We were starting to think you missed your flight.”

 

Abby strides across the room, long legs helping her cover the room quickly as Alex and Syd follow quickly behind. Abby, after pulling her into a back thumping hug that almost knocks Ashlyn’s sunglasses from their precarious perch on her head, steps back so that Ashlyn can embrace Alex and Syd.

 

“How are you? How was your flight?”

 

“I’m great. It was good, we didn’t have any trouble getting the car or anything either.”

 

Ashlyn can see all three of them perk up at the word “we,” so she calls across the lobby, where Ali is buried in her phone, legs crossed with one hand on her suitcase.

 

“Alex!”

 

She realizes the nickname is wrong as soon as it leaves her mouth, but Ali looks up, waving from the couch and carrying the bags over. She’s practically bouncing when she joins the group, shaking hands all around.

 

“Okay, Ali, so this is Abby, Syd, and Alex.”

 

“I’ve heard so much about all three of you!” Ali says, grinning, and even Ashlyn can barely tell that Ali’s lying.

 

“And we have heard absolutely nothing about you,” Abby smirks. “We have a lot to catch up on. Do you want to get a drink?”

 

“Oh, no we do not have time for that,” Ashlyn says hurriedly. “We have to change and get ready for dinner tonight.”

 

Alex points at the bags that Ali dropped on the floor.

 

“You’ve got her carrying all your bags? I thought I taught you better than that.”

 

Ali smiles and shrugs innocently. “The plight of being the stronger one.”

 

Ashlyn lets out an overdramatic huff, taking her bag from the floor. “You volunteered, sweetheart. But, hey, we’re going to head up to the room. Long trip, time zones. Need a nap and a shower. We’ll see you tonight, right?”

 

Syd raises one eyebrow. “A nap? Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

 

Ashlyn can see Ali’s face go red out of the corner of her eye, and reaches for her hand.  
  


“I think you underestimate how tired we are.”

 

Ali recovers. “I will tell you every single thing you want to know tonight, I promise. I have stories I have been waiting _forever_ to tell, and stories I’m sure I should be _dying_ to hear. But this one gets pretty cranky after long trips,” she says, lacing her fingers with Ashlyn’s. Ashlyn rolls her eyes, but shrugs at the girls, whose stunned silence gives Ali and Ashlyn the opportunity to slip away.

 

They walk, hand in hand, to the elevator, and Ashlyn hesitates to let go when the elevator doors close behind them.

 

“What are you, afraid that they’ll check the elevator cameras?” Ali teases. Ashlyn releases Ali’s hand instantly, clearing her throat before changing the subject.

 

“So Alex and Syd lived on my floor for a semester and played soccer with Abby. They’re great. Syd got me do shit I never would have done without her bad encouragement and Alex helped me dress a little bit better. I _think_ both of their husbands are here this weekend, Servando and Dom.”

 

“So you’re saying I have Alex to thank for such a sharply dressed date?”

 

“Oh you have no idea. When I was in college I dressed like an absolute fool. Think of the worst dressed man you’ve ever seen. That was me. Still is me sometimes. Less often, though.”

 

“For whatever reason I can’t see it.”

 

“Consider yourself lucky you never have to,” Ashlyn says with a smirk.

 

When the elevator dings on their floor, Ashlyn slides her room key to open the door. Ali enters the room first, rolling her bag and carrying the other two bags over her shoulders. She carefully perches both duffel bags on top of the desk beside the window. Ashlyn tries not to watch her walk away, but fails miserably and is jerked from the stupor she seems to fall into in Ali’s presence when Ali spins, hands on her hips, and speaks again.

 

“Window or wall?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you have a preference? For where you sleep?”

 

“Oh, no, not at all. You can pick.”

 

Ali collapses on the side of the bed closest to the window after kicking her shoes off, turning onto her stomach to plug her phone into the outlet above the nightstand. Ashlyn sits on the other side, checking the clock.

 

“I’m exhausted. We don’t have to be anywhere until 7, so I’m going to sleep for a little bit. Then I have to shower and we can head out.”

 

“That’s a mistake,” Ali says quietly.

 

“What is?”

 

“When you go east, you’re supposed to stay up as late as you can for jet lag,” Ali continues matter of factly, propping herself up on her elbow to stare at Ashlyn. “If you go to sleep now you’ll be tired the whole weekend.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

Ali nods, turning over onto her back. There’s about six inches of space between them when they’re both on their backs, and Ashlyn is so close to the edge of the bed that she’s worried she’ll fall during the night. She could inch closer, get more comfortable, maybe not have any limbs hanging off the bed. She knows Ali probably wouldn’t think anything of it, but instead she opts to hop up, throwing open the closet doors to pull one of the two robes off the door.

 

“In that case I’m going to shower I guess. Maybe that will wake me up.”

 

“Sounds good,” Ali says, pointing to the TV remote on the coffee table to Ashlyn’s left and catching it deftly when Ashlyn tosses it to her. “Just warn me before you come out naked so I can avert my eyes.”

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes before stepping into the bathroom. She takes a long, very hot shower, filling the room with steam, trying actively not to think about the beautiful woman she will be sharing a weekend, a room, a _bed_ with, whose hand fits hers perfectly. She tries not to think about the fact that people will probably expect them to be _touching_ all night. She tries not to think about how much she wouldn’t mind touching Ali Krieger, wedding planner extraordinaire, all night.

 

When she finally turns the water off, she tugs on the robe, tying it tightly – maybe a little too tightly – around her before wrapping her hair in a towel.

 

“That looks comfy,” Ali says – almost purrs – when Ashlyn leaves the bathroom. “I might have to follow your lead.”

 

Ashlyn plops unceremoniously on the bed beside Ali. “Be my guest. Anything good on TV?”

 

“I was watching _Four Weddings._ ”

 

“That must be, like, wedding planner porn.”

 

“Try wedding planner hell. These requests are so ridiculous and specific.  But it’s like a trainwreck. I can’t look away. You can change it. I’m going to shower. Unless you’ve used all the hot water,” Ali gestures in the direction of the steam still pouring from the door of the bathroom.

 

“I left a little bit,” Ashlyn says with a wink. “Just for you.”

 

“How chivalrous.”

 

Despite Ali’s warning, Ashlyn falls asleep, watching _Four Weddings_ and listening to the shower run, trying not to let her mind wander to places it shouldn’t. She wakes up when she hears the blowdryer in the bathroom, sitting up with a start. Ashlyn scrambles to look at the clock, realizing she slept until 5:30 and falling back with a groan.

 

“Look who’s awake!” Ali says, emerging from the bathroom, tousling her hair to the point of elegant dishevelment. “I was starting to wonder what time I should wake you up.”

 

“You should have woken me up when you say I was asleep,” Ashlyn grumbles.

 

“But you look cute when you’re asleep.”

 

“Save it for when someone’s watching,” Ashlyn says, laughing as Ali rolls her eyes.

 

“I’m just trying to practice.”

 

“Bull _shit_ ,” Ashlyn mumbles as Ali returns to the bathroom, humming innocently.

 

Ashlyn rises, unzipping her suitcase to pull her outfit for the evening out for ironing.

 

“You’re wearing the blue and white checked shirt tonight, right?” Ali calls from the bathroom. “With the grey vest? Navy tie”

 

“Right,” Ashlyn responds, plugging in the iron. “Is that too casual?”

 

“For a rehearsal dinner that isn’t even _the_ rehearsal dinner?” Ali says, shaking her head as she leaves the bathroom again, this time reaching for her bag to get her dress. “Not at all.”

 

They’re not invited to the _actual_ rehearsal dinner, because they aren’t in the bridal party, but Ashlyn’s friends from college all agreed to meet for dinner and drinks at a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel. Close enough that they can stagger back, far enough that they don’t run the risk of running into either bride’s families.

 

Ali pulls a dress, navy, from her suitcase. “We’ll coordinate, not match,” she says before Ashlyn can protest. “My dress matches your tie, that’s it.”

 

“Do you want to do it in the bathroom or in here?” Ashlyn says, when she’s satisfied with the creases in her sleeves. Ali looks up, eyebrows halfway up her forehead, and Ashlyn can feel heat rising in her cheeks. “Change, I mean.”

 

“Oh,” is all Ali says, looking back down into her bag, digging for shoes or underwear or something.

 

“I still have to do my hair and stuff so I was thinking maybe I could grab the bathroom.”

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

They get ready without speaking, Ashlyn half listening to the TV in the other room as she does her hair and tugs her shirt on, tucking it into her dress pants after she buttons it to the top. She buttons her vest, rolls her sleeves up to her elbows, and knots her tightly before opening the door to the bathroom.

 

“You decent?”

 

“Better than decent.”

 

And she is. Ali is stunning, in a dress that falls in the middle of her thigh with a neckline that dips so low Ashlyn needs to bite her lip to keep from saying something inappropriate.

 

“Pick your jaw up,” Ali says, smirking as she fastens her strappy heels around her ankles. “You don’t look too bad either.”

 

“Nobody’s even going to be looking at me,” Ashlyn breathes.

 

“Come here, let’s practice something,” Ali says, gesturing at the full length mirror and curling two fingers in a _come hither_ motion. Ashlyn swallows hard but follows Ali’s directions, standing in front of the full length mirror.

 

“Now,” Ali says softly. “When you make a _really_ good joke, which there’s not a doubt in my mind you will, I’m going to put my hand here.” Ali places her hand on Ashlyn’s stomach, lightly, and presses the rest of her body into Ashlyn’s side. Ashlyn can feel herself go stiff, and Ali laughs. “See how you look like a deer in the headlights? That’s not what couples look like after years of dating. Pull it together.” Ali taps her stomach gently and Ashlyn relaxes a little. “It’ll get easier after a few drinks, don’t worry. You’ll relax, I’m sure of it.”

 

“Well then can we start drinking now?”

 

Ali laughs, breaking away from Ashlyn to search the cabinets of the room. “Do we have a mini bar?”

 

She stands back triumphantly when she finally finds it.

 

“Ridiculously overpriced Jack or ridiculously overpriced Fireball?”

 

“Ugh, ridiculously overpriced Jack. Fireball is gross.”

 

“Just when I thought I could like you!” Ali exclaims, lightly tossing Ashlyn the small bottle of Jack Daniels.

 

They toss them back quickly, maybe a little too quickly, as Ashlyn’s phone starts to blow up with texts from her friends, waiting in the lobby.

 

“Ready to go?” Ashlyn says, fumbling with her shoes before rising, and Ali joins her when she’s finished applying her lipstick. They’re the same height when Ali wears these heels. Ali nods an affirmative, pulling her bag over her shoulder as Ashlyn slides her money clip and phone into her pocket.

 

They definitely drank too fast, and Ashlyn’s head starts to buzz a little while they wait for the elevator. As she wonders if Ali’s is too, Ali turns to her, that mischievous glint in her eye.

 

“Want to know what’ll really get them talking?”  


“Of course.”

 

They step into the elevator, and Ali smirks. “Thank God we’re alone. You should know I don’t sacrifice my lipstick for just anyone.”

 

Before Ashlyn can even respond, Ali grabs her by her shoulders, placing one hand on Ashlyn’s chin and pressing her lips gently to Ashlyn’s before pulling away.

 

Ashlyn can feel the remnants of the kiss in the form of Ali’s lipstick. Ali bites her lip, thumbing at Ashlyn’s bottom lip, one hand still on her shoulder.

 

“That should do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! Hope you like it, sorry for the delay :) Let me know what ya dig and what ya don't! X


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so... the bluffing begins.

“Hi, girls!” Ali exclaims as the two of them leave the elevator, Ashlyn still reeling, collecting herself as they join Syd, Alex, and Abby. “Just give me one second to run to the bathroom.”

 

Syd raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you wore lipstick, Ash.”

 

“I don’t think that shade of red is your color,” Alex laughs, pulling a tissue from her bag. “Clean that up.”

 

Ashlyn rubs at her lips furiously, trying to get the lipstick off.

 

“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, right? _I_ just expected you to be a little bit more careful,” Syd teases.

 

Ali returns to the group, lipstick once again impeccable. “Are we waiting on Serv and Dom?” she asks, and Ashlyn is proud that Ali remembered the names.

 

“They’re going to meet us there,” Syd says, taking Ali by the forearm as they leave the hotel lobby, into the Georgia evening. “Now let’s talk.”

 

Ashlyn lags behind with Abby, straining to hear what the girls ahead of them are giggling about.

 

“So how long has this been going on?” Abby asks quietly.

 

“A little bit over a year,” Ashlyn replies, praying that Ali’s lie lines up.

 

“Who knows? I was talking to Whit last night and she had no idea. Kelley and Ann don’t know either.”

 

“A lot of people back home, but none of you guys.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “It’s not… It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but you know how I am about dating.”

 

“Terrible?”  
  
  
“Right. So when we started dating, I didn’t want to tell you because it was just some coffee and drinks and stuff. And then when it got really serious, I didn’t want you guys to get all freaked out.”

 

Even Ashlyn is surprised at how easily the lie is rolling off her tongue, and from the way that Ali’s making Syd and Alex laugh, she’s not having a hard time with it either.

 

“And why were you calling me two weeks ago bitching about not wanting to bring a date?”

 

“I wasn’t sure if I was ready yet, or if she was ready, you know?”

 

“You don’t have to lie to me, you know that right?”

 

Ashlyn’s breath catches and she feels her face turning red, looking straight ahead to avoid meeting Abby’s eyes.

 

“I mean you don’t have to lie to me about wanting to sleep with bridesmaids and stuff. You could’ve just told me you weren’t sure about Ali meeting all of us.”

 

“Oh, right,” Ashlyn replies, letting out a deep breath. “Right. I just wanted to make sure it was on _our_ timeline, you know? But she was cool with coming. And Syd and Alex seem to like her.”

“They’re glad you’re dating someone who dresses well. And is _really_ pretty.”

 

“Obviously my only two stipulations.”

“And how’s the shop?”

“Good, up and running. Pinoe is covering for me this weekend, I just hope it’s not a complete mess when I get back. How have you been? How’s Sarah?”

 

Abby shrugs. “She’s alright. Stayed home this weekend to catch up on some work.”

 

“Bummer. I would’ve loved to see her.”

 

“Yeah, me too,” Abby sighs.

 

Before Ashlyn has the opportunity to delve further into Abby’s weighted words, they almost literally run into Alex, Syd, and Ali, waiting in front of the restaurant. Syd’s arms are folded and Ashlyn feels anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

 

“Ashlyn Harris, how come you didn’t tell me you were such a _romantic_? Holding people hostage to get phone numbers.”

 

“Christ, I thought Ali had said something _really_ embarrassing about me,” Ashlyn laughs, trying to shake off her nerves.

 

“She was pretty tight lipped, but we’ll see what she says when she’s got a few drinks in her.”

 

Ali grips Ashlyn’s hand tight as they follow the rest of the group into the restaurant.

 

“Doing okay?” Ashlyn asks.

 

“They’re really sweet. Kind of makes me wish I was actually dating you so I could be friends with them.” Ali smirks.

 

“Who knows. Maybe some lifetime friends will come out of this weekend. It takes some real character to lie for a stranger.”

 

 “Only a pretty stranger,” Ali murmurs, turning to face Ashlyn before straightening Ashlyn’s tie. “You look good. And got all that lipstick off your face. I should thank Alex.”

 

Ashlyn places her hand gently on the small of Ali’s back, guiding her into the restaurant first, where they’re led to the private room and what feels like half of Ashlyn’s graduating class is sitting, bunched around one long table with their respective partners. There’s a spot between Syd and Alex (and two strapping men Ashlyn quietly points out as Servando and Dom), across from Whitney that’s obviously been saved for Ali and Ashlyn.

 

Ashlyn almost leaves Ali’s side to rush forward and hug Whit, one of her oldest friends, but instead she waits for her to come to them, wrapping her in a tight hug and then gesturing towards Ali.

 

“Whit, this is Ali, my girlfriend.”

 

“This is Ali!” Whit exclaims, hugging Ali as well. “I cannot believe that Ashlyn’s been dating someone for a _year_ and never once let it slip. Not once on social, not once to me or anyone else. That must’ve really taken a lot of work.”

 

Ashlyn knows the edge in Whit’s tone, and it’s definitely suspicion.

 

“Well you know,” Ashlyn starts, before Ali speaks over her.

 

“There’s something really nice about having something that’s for our eyes only, you know? We just wanted to really make sure it was going to work before we told everyone who’s so important to us about each other. I’ll probably drag Ash to a wedding or two when we get back,” she says, placing her hand on Ashlyn’s stomach. Ashlyn tries not to jump out of her skin. “I’m just excited we’re finally doing this!”

 

“Oh, we are too,” Whit says. “Come sit down, we have so much to catch up on.”

  
As Ali heads to their seats, Whit pulls Ashlyn back. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Whit," Ashlyn replies, genuinely feeling sad for the hurt tone in Whitney's voice.  
  
  
"It's fine... she seems normal. I just don't want you to feel like you need to hide things from me because you think I'll judge you. If you're happy, I'll support you. All your friends will support you."  
  
"Thanks, Whit."

  
Ashlyn's chest aches because they're so wrapped in an elaborate lie. Maybe it would've been better to ask Ali to come with her on a first date, so maybe it wouldn't feel like a lie. But they're there, and there's no real way out of it besides an explosive (fake) break up, so Ashlyn decides in that instant that she will treat it like a first date. Maybe, if all goes well, it could be.  


They make it through four rounds of drinks and three courses (in that order) without Ashlyn needing to speak very much. It starts feeling very much like an interrogation, and Ashlyn worries that Ali is getting overwhelmed, but she handles it gracefully.

 

“So what do you do?” Whit asks casually, sipping a glass of wine.

 

“I’m a wedding planner in Los Angeles.”

 

“How exactly does that cross paths with a tattoo artist?”

 

“Well my brother has an affinity for covering his body in art, and when I went to pick him up from an appointment with Ashlyn… well she wouldn’t let him leave the chair until he gave her my number,” Ali says, reaching for Ashlyn’s hand resting on the table and absently stroking it with her thumb. “The rest is kind of history.”

 

“Where did you go on your first date?” Syd asks.

 

“To be honest, we went to Starbucks. Which, trust me, I also thought was lame at the time. But it was actually pretty nice. Ashlyn and I talked for a few hours and we had a lot in common and a lot of the same interests. And then she walked me to my car. And I mean, my car was in the parking lot right beside the store but it still felt like a nice gesture,” Ali laughs, reciting the first date story the two of them had made up, but adding something they hadn't agreed on to the end. “She didn’t even kiss me until our fourth date. I was starting to think she didn’t actually like me!”

 

Ashlyn tries to be mad, but Ali is charming, and an absolute vision when she’s in her element. Every time she opens her mouth, whether it’s to tell a (presumably) true story about herself or a story about Ashlyn and herself she made up on the spot, she commands the attention of the room. Ashlyn is glad Kelley and Ann aren’t actually there, for fear that Ali might steal the spotlight from them.

 

The girls, especially the ones who lived with Ashlyn for a decent amount of college, tell stories about college that Ashlyn would be embarrassed about even with an actual girlfriend (like the way Ashlyn ate shit the first time she saw snow and the time she tried to shotgun a beer and ended up shoving her elbow through Abby’s kitchen window and picking glass out of her skin on the way to the hospital). Ali laughs a lot, and a few times she looks at Ashlyn with a softness in her eyes that makes Ashlyn want to pull her close and kiss her.

 

“Alex, I’ve heard I have you to thank for how well Ash dresses now,” Ali says at one point, while Ashlyn’s arm is wrapped protectively around the back of Ali’s chair, and their end of the table laughs.

 

“You have no _idea,_ ” Alex replies, scrolling through her phone for a picture as Ashlyn buries her face in her free hand, groaning.

 

“Oh, babe,” Ali says, grabbing at Ashlyn’s hand as she looks through the pictures. “You were _terrible_.”

 

The food is good and the company is better, and Ashlyn almost forgets the stress of the situation as Ali melts into her more and more.

 

“I’m drunk and I’m tired,” Ali whispers as the clock ticks towards midnight, placing a very soft, almost imperceptible kiss beside Ashlyn’s ear. So inconspicuous that Ashlyn isn’t completely sure it was meant for anyone but her.

  
“Do you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?” Ashlyn teases, guiding Ali to her feet and slipping cash into their billfold.

 

“Not a pumpkin, but an exhausted woman you need to get home,” Ali replies with a little shove.

 

They say their goodnights and see you tomorrows, leaving the restaurant arm and arm. Ali doesn’t pull away from Ashlyn when they’re out of sight, and Ashlyn doesn’t force her to. They walk in silence for a few minutes before Ali speaks.

 

“Ash,” Ali says, pausing in the street as the cars whiz past. Ashlyn’s ears are buzzing and her face is warm. There’s a pit in her stomach, left over from the soft kiss in the restaurant. “I want to talk to you about something.”

 

Ali is slurring a little bit, her cheeks are red.

 

“I think… Ashlyn I think you’re really a good person. And the way you talk to me, the way your friends dote on you – it’s just really special. I feel like I haven’t been around a lot of people like you, who just kind of give off this positive energy everywhere they go.”

 

“That’s very sweet of you to say, Alex,” Ashlyn murmurs. “But you’ve also only known me for a few days. And those are all my friends, of course they have nice things to say.”

 

“But everyone in that restaurant has known you for years. And they’re _so_ happy you’ve found someone. And to me, that means you’re really something special. Even Kyle only has nice, sweet things to say about you when he mentions you after getting a new piece. I’m just really happy I get to know you. I’m going to have to thank Kyle for introducing me to you.”

 

Ashlyn gives a lopsided grin, embarrassed and drunk enough to let her guard down a little bit.

 

“Well you’re not too bad either. I’m going to have to thank him for talking me up so much.”

 

“Shut up,” Ali says, shoving Ashlyn gently, but not removing her hand after, speaking to Ashlyn but staring at her lips. “I’m serious. This has been nice. Tomorrow will be fun.”

 

“You’re drunk.”

 

“So are you.”

 

Ashlyn glances at Ali’s mouth, praying quietly they’re both on the same page before she leans in, their lips crashing together. Ali’s arms come up to wrap around Ashlyn’s neck, pulling her closer on the busy street. Someone leans out the window as they drive by, hollering as they go.

 

“Take me home,” Ali murmurs against Ashlyn’s lips before kissing down her jaw and neck. “Take me back to the hotel room.”

 

And so Ashlyn does, taking Ali by the hand and all but sprinting back to the hotel. When they get back into the elevator, where just a few hours earlier Ali had smeared her lipstick all over Ashlyn’s lips, they’re at it again – for real this time – Ashlyn’s hands pinning Ali to the wall of the elevator as she opens her mouth to welcome Ali’s tongue.

 

“This is a beautiful dress,” Ashlyn whispers when they untangle from each other and Ali digs through her bag for the room key, Ashlyn running her hands down Ali’s sides. “Did I tell you that earlier?”

 

“No, but the drool coming from your mouth told me about as much.”

 

“You’re so beautiful.”

 

“Do you want to try something?” Ali murmurs, voice low and heavy, finally pulling Ashlyn back to her for another kiss.

 

“Of course,” Ashlyn replies, eager. At this point she’s pretty sure she’d do anything Ali asks.

 

“Show, don’t tell.”

 

Ashlyn bites back a moan, lifting Ali easily as she pushes open the door and pinning her to the wall as it clicks shut. They stay there for a bit, Ali’s hands tangled in Ashlyn’s tie, tugging it gently to keep her close, Ashlyn’s hands sliding down Ali’s sides and toying with the hem of her dress. When Ali’s hands drop to the buttons of Ashlyn’s pants, the fog that comes from drinking too much with a beautiful girl lifts, even if it’s just for an instant, and Ashlyn pulls away.

 

“We can’t.”

 

“What?” Ali doesn’t seem angry, more hurt, as she adjusts her dress and swipes at her mouth – as if a couple of wipes at her lips will fix the mess of lipstick on her and Ashlyn’s mouths.

 

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re _really_ hot or really nice or interesting or fun.”

 

“I swear to God if this is because of Kyle,” Ali groans.

 

“It’s not, who gives a shit about Kyle,” Ashlyn all but yells before lowering her voice. “It’s just that you’re drunk. And I’m drunk. And we have to go to a wedding tomorrow and I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow morning and regret this and then have to spend the day with me.”

 

Ali smiles weakly. “I can promise you I won’t regret it.”

 

“But still.”

 

“Do you want to?”

 

“God, yes I want to.”

 

“So if we end up like this, again, tomorrow night…” Ali says pseudo-innocently, staring at her feet.

 

“That would be a completely different story.”

 

“I think I can deal with that.”

 

Ashlyn clears her throat, undoing the knot of her tie and unbuttoning the top button of her shirt. It's a relief, but not surprising, that Ali isn't pushing any more.

 

“So what do you want to do now?”

 

“I mean.”

 

“Besides that.”

 

“Maybe we could just watch some TV? We do have kind of an early morning tomorrow.”

 

They change, quietly and separately, and Ashlyn wonders if Ali is thinking about how she looks changing the way she’s thinking about how Ali looks changing. When she emerges from the bathroom, teeth brushed and face washed, Ali’s in flannel pajama pants and an obviously well worn t-shirt. Ashlyn’s in shorts and a t-shirt from college, and as Ali passes to head to the bathroom, she points at the tattoo snaking up Ashlyn’s calf.

 

“Is there anywhere you _don’t_ have tattoos?”

 

Ashlyn lifts the side of her t-shirt to show the piece on her side. “Nope.”

 

They climb into bed together, Ali with control of the remote (Ashlyn is learning to expect nothing less), painfully aware of each other’s body heat in the suddenly much too small bed.

 

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Ashlyn asks.

 

“Where are you going to sleep if I’m not?”

 

“On the floor, I guess.”

 

Ali laughs. “Shut up. It’s fine. Are you scared easily? There’s a true crime show I usually watch late at night. But I don’t want to scare you.”

“I think I’ll be able to get through it. And if not, you’re here to reassure me it’s not real, right?”

 

“Of course.”

 

It doesn’t take long for Ali to fall asleep, considering the circumstances. Ashlyn is up a little bit longer, and as she starts to drift she feels Ali move towards her, rolling onto her side, not touching her but leaving them less than an inch apart. Ashlyn can feel Ali’s even breaths against her arm as she lays on her stomach, and even as every sane part of her screams to move away, to stop feeding into it, she stays in place, almost hoping that Ali moves a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the amazing feedback! Hope you liked this one. All the love. x


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some exercise and a frank discussion.

Ashlyn wakes up alone, and instantly her mind goes to the worst possible place. She feels around the bed frantically, as though Ali could be hiding underneath the covers. Ashlyn is sure she did something embarrassing during the night – curling around Ali or maybe accidentally reaching for a _part_ of her she shouldn’t have reached for. Her heart rate picks up as she starts to write an apology in her head.

 

_I’m sorry I grabbed your ass in my sleep, I was probably just still drunk and I really didn’t mean to, do you want me to call down and see if they’ll send up extra blankets so I can sleep on the floor?_

 

“Oh, you’re up!” Ali says, coming out of the bathroom and flicking the lights on, securing her hair in a bun on her head, dressed to work out.

 

“And you’re… working out already?” Ashlyn says, rolling onto her back, checking her phone for the time. 6:30AM. “Aren’t you hungover?”

 

“There’s no better cure for a hangover, I promise. I was going to ask you to come, but you were sleeping.”

 

“And I’m cute when I’m asleep,” Ashlyn murmurs, throwing her arm over her eyes.

 

“You got it. But now that you’re up, you’re not getting out of it. Come on, get up,” Ali says, slapping the end of the bed.

 

“I don’t even think I packed anything to work out in.”

 

“Oh come on,” Ali says, striding over to Ashlyn’s things and carefully rifling through. “I can literally see a pair of gym shorts and you definitely have sneakers in here.”

 

“Those are for _show,_ I never actually work out when I travel.”

 

“Ashlyn.”  Ali’s voice is stern and while Ashlyn knows there will be no actual repercussions for not going, she can’t bear the thought of Ali thinking she’s _lazy._

 

Ashlyn rolls out of bed, nearly running into the wall as she heads to her bag for the gym shorts Ali mentioned. She gets dressed quickly, save for the fact that she puts her shorts on backwards the first time, and ties her shoelaces as Ali scrolls through her phone, perched on the edge of the bed.

 

“Okay, I’m ready,” Ashlyn breathes. “Is the sun even up yet?”

 

“Well done,” Ali says, looking Ashlyn up and down once. “And no, it’s not. Let’s go.”

 

The area around their hotel is pretty quiet in the morning, especially on a Saturday when no one is traveling to work. Ali has headphones around her neck, but doesn’t put them in, instead opting to listen to the two of their feet hitting the pavement. Ashlyn has to fight to keep up, mostly because if she lags behind she has to purposely avert her eyes from Ali _and_ she knows she’ll have to listen to Ali brag about it when they get back. About half an hour in, Ali stops, checking her watch.

 

“I’m a little bit more out of shape than I thought,” Ashlyn says, hands on her hips, bending at the waist.

 

“You don’t look too bad. You’re keeping up alright.”

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes as Ali stretches for a moment, then turns to run back. Ashlyn is smug when she’s able to keep up with Ali, maybe even get a few steps ahead, until she realizes Ali is slowing down a little bit to keep their pace in time.

 

“You do have mercy,” Ashlyn breathes, when they arrive back at the hotel.

 

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Ali replies, barely out of breath, checking her watch as they walk through the hotel lobby. “Not too shabby for someone who doesn’t work out when she travels.”  

 

When they get to the room, Ali showers first, leaving Ashlyn perched on the side of the bed, still sweating, checking her phone as though anyone she knows would be awake at such an ungodly hour. They left in such a rush that Ashlyn didn’t have time to brush her teeth and the taste is unpleasant to say the least, so she's antsy to get into the bathroom.

 

But she waits, patiently, until Ali emerges from the bathroom – then she hops off the bed and into the bathroom, brushing against Ali just enough to send shivers up her spine, taking the hottest shower she can get manage. A few times, she considers turning it cold, flooded with memories from the night before.

 

She wraps herself in the robe she slept in the day before and towel dries her hair. As annoying as it was to get up with the sun, when she’s done and checks the time and it’s only 9AM, it’s kind of satisfying.

 

“I want to talk about last night,” Ali says, when Ashlyn re-enters the room, her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Ashlyn nearly drops it. “Okay. Hold on,” she replies, mouth full of toothpaste, before spitting into the sink and rinsing her mouth out. “Which part? What embarrassing thing did I do that I don’t remember?”

 

Ali laughs. “I think I’m probably the one who did the embarrassing stuff, trying to get you in bed with me. Well. Trying to get you to fuck me. Most of what you did was cute. I didn’t _hate_ waking up with your arm across my back.”

 

“Oh,” Ashlyn says, looking at her feet as heat rises in her cheeks. “I didn’t know I did that.”

 

“But anyway. I wanted to let you know that I still feel the way I did last night. Like, the… feelings about you. Are still there,” Ali says slowly, looking down into her palms, smirking a little. “I really meant everything I said about being happy I get to know you.”

 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Ali is sheepish.

 

“They’re still there for me too. Somewhere underneath this headache,” Ashlyn says, grinning, approaching Ali slowly from across the room before sitting next to her. “I kind of had an idea on our run this morning. Well, last night, but I remembered it this morning. Which I think is a sign that we should do it.”

 

“I’m listening,” Ali says softly.

 

Ashlyn takes a deep breath, trying to keep the words from coming out too fast. “I know we’re supposed to be telling people we’ve dated _forever_ and I want to keep doing that, obviously. But, maybe, for us, we could try for real? We could use today and tonight as a first date. Kind of.”

 

“You want our first date to be at a wedding we’re already pretending to be dating at.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs, standing again, running her hand through her wet hair. “You’re right. It’s stupid. I just thought maybe it would be an alright way to try this before we go home.”

 

“No, no,” Ali says, rising to meet Ashlyn. “I think it’s cute. Nontraditional. But cute.”

 

“That’s my middle name. Nontraditional but cute,” Ashlyn murmurs, lowering her voice as Ali closes the space between them. “Do you want to do it?”

 

Ali wraps her arms around Ashlyn’s neck, glancing at Ashlyn’s lips for just a second before looking up at her eyes. Ashlyn catches it, and her face splits into a lopsided grin.

 

“Yeah, I want to do it,” Ali says, her voice soft, before she turns red. “The real first date, I mean.”

 

Ashlyn’s sure she’s reading the cues right this time as she leans in, closing the space between their lips, kissing Ali hard while pulling her in by her waist. Ali parts her lips, welcoming Ashlyn’s tongue, threading her fingers through Ashlyn’s wet hair and tugging just hard enough for Ashlyn to moan. It’s different this time, without the haze of alcohol and in the harsh light of day, and every touch feels deliberate instead of sloppy, but the sense of urgency is still there.

 

Ali backs towards the bed, and even though she’s shorter, she’s a little broader than Ashlyn, and when the back of her knees hit the mattress she handily pulls Ashlyn down on top of her. She slips her knee between Ashlyn’s legs, bare underneath the robe. She smiles against Ashlyn when she feels the heat against her, shifting to kiss down Ashlyn’s jaw and neck, biting at her pulse point before moving back to her lips.

 

When Ashlyn pulls away to breathe, her bottom lip snags between Ali’s teeth and it takes every ounce of self control for her to speak.

 

“We have to get ready.”

 

Ali twists underneath Ashlyn to check the time on the nightstand. It’s 9:30, and while they have another two and a half hours to get to the venue, they both know how long it takes to get ready. Ali groans, her head falling back to the mattress with a thump.

 

“We do, don’t we.”

 

Ashlyn stands, clearing her throat and tousling her hair while Ali remains splayed out on the mattress in front of her, eyes closed. 

 

“So,” Ashlyn says, making herself busy by going through her things for the shirt she needs to iron.

 

“So,” Ali responds, rubbing the bridge of her nose with two fingers. “What color is your tie?”

 

“Shirt’s white, tie’s red. You’re wearing the red dress?”

 

“Right.”

 

Ashlyn pulls the ironing board from the closet and plugs the iron in, sitting on the edge of the bed to wait for it to heat up.

 

“How are you doing your hair?” Ali asks, still laying in bed.

 

“I’m probably just going to slick it back. You?”

 

“What do you think? Down or up? Sometimes I think my hair looks a tamer up.”

 

“I think it looks good either way.”

 

The conversation isn’t awkward, but slightly stilted, as Ashlyn is trying not to think about how Ali’s bottom lip could be between her teeth and her hand could be between her legs. She wonders if Ali is trying to wipe the same thing from her mind as she kneads the bridge of her nose.

 

“You okay?” Ashlyn says, standing when the iron clicks as it finishes heating up.

 

“Are you?” Ali says thickly, finally getting up and moving to her suitcase, rifling through for her dress.

 

“Yep,” Ashlyn says, despite the fact that she is very much _not_ fine and there’s heat still pooling in her stomach from the way Ali felt pressed against her, even through a few too many layers of clothes.

 

“You can have the bathroom,” Ashlyn says slowly and Ali nods an affirmative.

 

When Ali is out of sight, Ashlyn lets out a deep breath, silently congratulating herself for having enough self control to keep her pants (or lack thereof) on not once but _twice_ now. And as much as she wants to be tangled in Ali’s legs right _now_ instead of trying to get her shirt just stiff enough, she’s sure that if Ali initiates anything _again_ she won’t have to push her away.

 

\--

 

They get dressed relatively quietly, Ali piping music from her phone from the bathroom. Ashlyn has to knock on the bathroom door once to get her hair product off the counter, and covers her eyes to avoid invading Ali’s privacy.

 

Ashlyn’s finished first, firing a text to Kelley while she waits for Ali, who’s moved on to singing while she finishes getting dressed.

 

_Good luck today! Can’t wait to see you!! Love you!_

When she looks up, Ali’s emerged from the bathroom, in a red dress with cut outs in _all_ the right places. Her hair is up in a tight bun and her makeup, as always, is impeccable.

 

“How do I look?”

“You know what I’m going to say,” Ashlyn says, rising and brushing herself off.

 

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear it,” Ali says, smirking.

 

“You look stunning,” Ashlyn replies, before pointing at the tattoo peeking through one of the cut outs. “And what’s that?”

 

Ashlyn tilts her head to read the looping cursive – similar to the font on Ali’s arm – before realizing it’s not in English.

 

“German?”

 

“It’s a couple of lines from _The Little Prince_. ‘One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.’”

 

“Why?”

Ali turns red, reaching back to run her hand over what’s visible, almost self conscious. “It’s the first book I read on my own in German.”

 

Ashlyn hesitates for just a second before placing her hand over Ali’s. “I like it a lot. Are there any more I haven’t seen?”

 

“Maybe,” Ali says, coy as ever, before twisting from Ashlyn’s grip to pick up her bag and head for the door. “Ready to go?”

 

Ashlyn nods, checking for her phone, money clip, and room key before following Ali.

“You know I’m probably going to see them eventually, right?” she says, her voice low as they walk down the hall. “Not to overstep or anything. But you might as well just tell me.”

 

“You’re awfully sure of yourself. And anyway, why would I tell you when I know you’ll just be trying to imagine where they are all day?”

 

Ashlyn groans as Ali presses the button for the elevator before returning to her side and planting a kiss on her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you're digging it, I love seeing all your comments :) Thank you for reading! 
> 
> If you don't follow me on tumblr, I'm going on a little bit of a hiatus for school and while I'll still be working on this, the updates won't be scheduled or anything (not that they even are now). 
> 
> All the love!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for the main event!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please heed the rating!

It’s not the most beautiful day in Peachtree City, Georgia. The sky is overcast and grey and it smells like impending rain.

 

“Ann is not going to be happy,” Ashlyn says as they walk to the venue. Even though the wedding is indoors, rain doesn’t bode well for pictures.

 

“It’s good luck for it to rain on a wedding,” Ali says simply, looking at the sky.

 

“That doesn’t make it any less wet.”

 

“How far is the ceremony from the reception?”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “No farther than a couple blocks. They were pretty good about making everything walkable.”

 

The venue is beautiful – lots of wood with all the trappings of a rustic wedding. Ashlyn’s heart skips a beat when she sees the words _Mrs. and Mrs. O’Hara_ across the front. The stress of the weekend had almost made her forget that two of her college best friends are getting married to each other. They settle in a row of folding chairs on Kelley’s side.

 

“So how am I going to know which one is Kelley and which one is Ann?” Ali asks, keeping her voice low and leaning into Ashlyn’s ear. Ashlyn almost laughs – mostly because of how ridiculous the whole situation is.

 

“Kelley’s the one with all the freckles. And the frantic energy.”

 

Syd catches Ashlyn’s eye when she enters with Dom at her heels, both looking sharp as ever, and settles beside them. Syd and Ali fall into conversation immediately, Syd eager to know what the wedding planner has to say about the décor. Ali tactfully points out all of the trappings she likes, and the closest she gets to insulting is recommending different colors. Ashlyn checks her watch as the minute hand ticks closer to noon.

 

“Do you think they’re going to start late?” Ali asks, glancing at Ashlyn’s watch.

 

“If this was just Kelley, I would say yes. But Ann keeps her pretty in check.”

 

As if on cue, the music begins to play and Kelley and Ann’s bridesmaids begin down the aisle. Ashlyn makes eye contact with Kelley’s sister and gives her a subtle wave, getting a soft nod in return.

 

Kelley processes in first, and Ashlyn hears Syd gasp softly at how stunning she looks. Ashlyn doesn’t know much about women’s fashion, and knows especially little about wedding dresses, but she does know that every woman looks beautiful on her wedding day.

 

“She looks great,” Ali whispers as Kelley walks by. Ashlyn nods.

 

Kelley’s face when Ann begins her part of the procession is the _most_ Kelley thing that Ashlyn’s ever seen – a true to life jaw drop. Her sister/maid of honor taps her on the shoulder to get her to pull herself together.

 

The rest of the ceremony is beautiful, and their vows are truly heartwarming. Ashlyn laughs, with the rest of her classmates at the ceremony, when Kelley references the way that Ann was so _mad_ the first time they kissed she thought she was going to get slapped. Midway through, Ashlyn turns to Ali, who’s tearing up.

 

“Don’t you do this enough not to cry over strangers anymore?” Ashlyn murmurs in Ali’s ear, and Ali slaps Ashlyn’s knee gently.

 

“Shut up, this is beautiful,” Ali responds, her voice barely audible.

 

When Kelley and Ann process out, Kelley jerks her chin at Ashlyn, elbowing Ann gently to get her attention. Ann’s head whips around to see Ashlyn, who points at Ali. It feels like a very elaborate game of charades in five seconds. Kelley shoots them both a thumbs up and mouths “later” as they pass by.

 

As everyone in attendance slowly streams out, Ashlyn shakes Dom’s hand while Ali and Syd talk about how _beautiful_ the ceremony is.

 

“Wait until Kelley and Ann meet you, they’re going to love you,” Syd says, her hand on Ali’s forearm.

 

“She seems like a really nice girl.” Dom’s voice is soft, his accent lilting as he angles his body so he’s out of earshot of Syd and Ali. “Have you thought about the future? I know that when I started bringing Syd to weddings and all, that’s when things were getting serious.”

 

“I mean,” Ashlyn responds, caught slightly off guard. “I guess things are getting serious. It’s only been…a year. So. There’s still time I think.”

 

“Be careful,” Dom laughs. “She’ll start dropping some very heavy hints. By the time I got around to it, Syd had pretty much bought a ring for herself.”

 

“I don’t think I’ll have that issue with Alex,” Ashlyn says, barely able to hide the smirk creeping across her face.

\--

 

When they make the walk to the reception, Ashlyn and Ali find their seat at a table with Syd and Alex and Abby, each with a seat allotted for their plus ones. There’s an uncomfortable space where Abby is sitting alone.

 

They settle in, Ali’s hand resting casually on Ashlyn’s thigh, while Kelley and Ann are introduced. Their first dance is sweet and slow, and Ali’s grip on Ashlyn’s thigh tightens.

 

“I always really love the first dances,” Ali says quietly, leaning into Ashlyn.

 

“You’re soft,” Ashlyn replies. “Even on strangers.”

 

“I have a heart!”

 

When they’re done, Ashlyn keeps an eye on the couple as they circulate the room, saying hi to their guests. When Kelley and Ann make their way to their table, Ashlyn rises, wrapping Kelley and Ann in hugs that won’t ruin their dresses or hair.

 

“Congratulations, you two!”

 

Ann is beaming, and Kelley’s eyes search the table until she finds Ali.

 

“Is this Ali?” she asks, a smile spreading across her face.

 

“Hi,” Ali says, shaking both of their hands before Ann pulls her into a hug. “Your ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Definitely one of the nicest ones I’ve been to.”

 

“Thank you so much!” Ann replies, her hand gripping Ali’s shoulder. “It means a lot. I hear you’re a wedding planner?”

 

“I am!”

 

“I wish Ashlyn had shared you with us earlier!”

 

“I’m just so glad to meet you now,” Ali says, for what feels to Ashlyn like the millionth time this weekend. “I know you’re going to be circulating the room all night, I hope you get some time to sit down and relax!”

 

“Oh, the time to relax is tonight,” Kelley says, winking at Ann, who turns tomato red. Ann circulates through the rest of the table as Kelley tugs Ashlyn away from the rest of the group.

 

 “So how’d you get her to come with you?” Kelley asks.

 

Ashlyn looks for Ali, who’s making her way to dance with Abby, drink in hand.  

 

“What?”

 

“There’s no _way_ you could keep a girl who looks like _that_ from us for over a year. It’s fine. I won’t tell anyone,” Kelley whispers conspiratorially. “But only if you spill how you got her to come with you.”

 

“She’s the sister of one of my favorite clients. And I actually do really like her.”

 

“I _knew_ it!” Kelley says triumphantly, obviously struggling to keep her voice down. “But yeah I can tell that you like her from the way you look at her. You _look_ at each other like you’re dating. I just know you’re not that good of a liar. To stretch it out for a year. Ann called bullshit on it right away.”

 

“We weren’t planning on dating. This was supposed to be a one-time thing.”

 

“But you _fell_ for her, of course you did you big mush,” Kelley says, shoving Ashlyn by her shoulder. “As long as she treats you right, you know that we’ll support you. And Ann and I will play along until it becomes a fun party story.”

 

“Thanks, Kel. Congratulations,” Ashlyn wraps Kelley in a hug, careful to avoid messing up her hair. “I’m so happy for you two.”

 

“Yeah, me too. I’m pretty much just glad it’s all going smoothly. Have fun tonight. We’re going to talk more about this tomorrow before you leave. With both of you!”

 

Ashlyn lets her go, moving to the dance floor and wrapping her arms around Ali’s waist from behind.

 

“You look _really_ good,” Ashlyn murmurs in Ali’s ear as she melts into her. Ashlyn feels that all too familiar heat pooling in her stomach as Ali grinds back against her before turning to face her, wrapping her arms around Ashlyn’s neck. The sweat from Ali’s drink cools off the back of her neck.

 

“How are Kelley and Ann?” Ali responds, her voice low in Ashlyn’s ear. “They’re such a beautiful couple.”

 

“They could spot our bullshit from a mile away.”

 

Ali pulls back, eyes wide. “What’d you tell them?”

 

“The truth. Kelley thinks it’s funny.”

 

“Are they going to tell anyone? I don’t want you to feel embarrassed,” Ali says, her voice heavy with worry.

 

“Kelley said they’re going to keep it to themselves until it’s a fun story we can tell at parties.”

 

Ali lets out a deep sigh of relief, relaxing physically in Ashlyn’s arms, pressing herself hard against her and burying her face in Ashlyn’s shoulder.

 

“Did you tell her we’re really trying this?”

 

“I didn’t tell her this is the weirdest first date I’ve ever been on but I did hint at it,” Ashlyn says, running her hands up Ali’s sides. “Have I told you how good you look yet?”

 

She can feel Ali smile against her neck. “You have but I’m not going to get tired of hearing it.”

 

“You look _so_ good.”

 

Ali trails kisses, as discreetly as she can, down Ashlyn’s neck, biting at her pulse point just hard enough that Ashlyn has to bite back a moan. She’s grateful for loud music and half the room being drunk, seeing as no one will actually notice how inappropriate this is, since every other couple there is glued together.

 

“Alex,” Ashlyn breathes, just loud enough to be heard. Ali looks up at her with expectant eyes. “What are you doing?”

 

“Trying to get you worked up enough to fuck me before we’re drunk,” Ali answers simply.

 

Ashlyn’s eyes go wide. “What?”

 

“Well you don’t want our first time to be drunk. You obviously want me and I obviously want you. So.”

 

“So what? Where do you want to go?”

 

“The bathroom. A hallway. Ashlyn, I don’t care.”

  
Ashlyn chews on her bottom lip, taking Ali by the hand and leading her out of hall.

 

“I have no idea where to even take you,” Ashlyn breathes. “There’s no way the bathrooms are only for one person.”

 

Ali groans.

 

“What if I promise you that when we get back to the room I’ll still want you?” Ashlyn asks quietly.

 

“Even if we’re drunk?”

 

“Even if we’re drunk.”

 

“Fine,” Ali all but whines. “Fine. Okay. Come on.”

 

They go back into the hall, taking their seats at the table where everyone is waiting for their food.

 

“Where did you two get off to?” Alex asks, and Ali turns red. Alex covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God.”

 

“We didn’t,” Ashlyn says, waving her hands in front of her face. “We did not.”

 

Syd smirks. “You definitely did.”

 

“We did _not_ ,” Ashlyn repeats.

 

Abby rolls her eyes.

 

“I wish we were gay,” Syd says, turning to Dom. “Then we could fuck in bathrooms.”

 

“We did _not_ fuck in the bathroom!” Ashlyn says. “I need a drink. Alex, do you want anything?”

 

Alex and Ali both look up at the same time. “Ali. Not you, Alex. What do you want?” 

 

“I’ll just come with you.”

 

She rises, heading over to the bar with Ali at her heels.

 

“See, even if we don’t fuck in the bathroom people will think we fucked in the bathroom,” Ali says as Ashlyn orders a glass of wine for Ali and whiskey on the rocks for herself before sliding cash to the bartender.

 

“Alex.”

 

“Ashlyn.”

 

“Are you sure that’s something you want?” Ashlyn asks, locking eyes with Ali. “Like, are you sure that’s something you want with me?”

 

“How many times do I need to say yes for you to listen to me?”

 

Ashlyn pauses, deliberating for no more than a second. “Wait in the hallway.”

 

Ashlyn silently brings their drinks back to the table, thanking God and all his angels that Syd and Alex are up dancing with Abby and Dom and Serv are buried in their phones, before meeting Ali right outside.

 

“Come on.”

 

Ashlyn takes Ali by the hand, bringing her to the bathrooms farthest from the hall. From where they are, Ashlyn can barely hear the music thumping or people talking. No sooner is the door closed than Ali is tugging Ashlyn by her lapels into a stall, unceremoniously slamming the door shut, and pinning her against the wall, kissing her hard.

 

“I can’t believe you want me for the first time in the bathroom of a banquet hall,” Ashlyn says as Ali bites and sucks at her neck, her hands sliding down Ashlyn’s chest under her jacket.

 

“Ashlyn, I wanted you for the first time in our bed last night. And then I wanted you for the first time in our bed this _morning._ Now I will take you for the first time wherever I can get you,” Ali replies, pulling away from the bruise that is definitely forming on Ashlyn’s neck already before sliding her hands down to Ashlyn’s belt buckle. She gets it undone, without moving her lips from Ashlyn’s, before Ashlyn flips the script, pinning Ali to the wall and sliding her hands under the hem of her dress.

 

“Then let me reward you for your patience,” Ashlyn says, her voice low, as she hikes Ali’s dress up over her hips, lifting her easily so she can wrap her legs around the small of Ashlyn’s back. Her breath catches in her throat when she realizes Ali has foregone wearing underwear.

 

“Were you that sure you’d get lucky?”

 

“Easy access?” Ali breathes, as Ashlyn’s fingers ghost over where she’s most sensitive. She’s already wet, and Ashlyn can only imagine what she’s been thinking about all day that has her so worked up, and she all but whines when Ashlyn slips one finger inside of her, thrusting in and out slowly, rubbing slow, lazy circles over her clit.

 

“Does that feel okay?” Ashlyn asks, mostly rhetorically, but Ali nods, bucking against her to get her deeper. She adds a second finger, and Ali’s breath hitches, and the way she bites her lip keeps what could’ve been a moan heard down the hall to a tiny whimper. Ali grips Ashlyn’s shoulder with one hand and buries her other in Ashlyn’s hair.

 

Ashlyn can feel Ali getting closer, especially once she begins to curl her fingers inside of her. Ali’s grip on her shoulder tightens, and, as if on cue, the door to the bathroom opens, and one guest enters and turns the sink on, thankfully just there to wash her hands.

 

Ashlyn freezes, thankful to every God that she didn’t decide to get on her knees, and they wait, silently, for the door to open and close again, Ashlyn’s fingers and thumb still moving slowly.

 

 When the door closes after what feels like an eternity, Ali comes with a gasp, her legs shaking around Ashlyn’s hips.

 

“That’s why we don’t fuck in public bathrooms,” Ashlyn murmurs against Ali’s chest as she comes down, before pulling out and licking her fingers clean. Ali watches, eyes dark.

 

She clears her throat as she fixes her dress, standing on her own now. “Does that mean I don’t get to return the favor yet?” 

 

“It means you get to think about _how_ you’re going to return the favor until we get back,” Ashlyn replies, proud of herself for the whine of a response her answer solicits, pulling Ali close again and kissing her deeply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :) x


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashlyn and Ali shower each other with compliments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the worst chapter description I've ever written and YET here we are.
> 
> Anyway please heed the rating on the work for this one!!!!!

Four drinks and one meal later, Ali is antsy (and handsy) again. The wedding is beautiful, the toasts are lovely, the dancing is good. The cake tastes like cardboard, and Kelley and Ann’s families are both wonderful, but when Ali’s hand starts sliding up Ashlyn’s thigh, Ashlyn gets tunnel vision. Ashlyn checks the door, and people are starting to filter out, so she makes an executive decision.

 

“Sweetheart,” Ashlyn says softly, her hand stopping Ali’s as it drifts up.

 

“Babe,” Ali replies sweetly.

 

“Do you want to head out?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

Ashlyn clears her throat, rising from her seat. “We’re going to get going, I think,” she says to the table, very aware of her words slurring and the looks she gets in return from Syd and Alex. She takes Ali by the hand, tugging her through the crowd to where Kelley and Ann sit with their bridal party.

 

“We’re leaving, thank you so much for such a great night,” Ashlyn all but yells over the music. Kelley gives her a thumbs up.

 

“We’ll see you for brunch tomorrow?”

 

Ashlyn looks at Ali, who nods, and then back at Kelley. “Yeah, we’ll see you for brunch tomorrow!”

 

They leave the venue, heading back towards the hotel, Ali’s shoes slung over her shoulder, their fingers interlocked.

 

“Brunch tomorrow?” Ali asks, her steps uneven, barefoot on the concrete.

 

“Yeah Kelley and Ann wanted to have a thing for our group from college so it should be the standard fare. Our flight’s not until the evening so we should be okay.”

 

“Sounds fun. I really like everyone.”

 

“Me too. Although, I’m always surprised by how little you get to see the actual couple at their wedding,” Ashlyn says.

 

“I mean, they’ve got a million people to see, right? And a million names to remember.”

 

“I know, I know. I just feel like you don’t really get to spend time with them on their wedding day.”

 

“Most of the time they just want to get on their honeymoon,” Ali says plainly. “The ceremony and all are nice, but in my experience people already know they love and care about each other already. I’ve had a couple couples duck out before everything’s full wound down. They’ll leave the envelope with tips and all and say goodbye to me and then probably go bang in their limo. They just want to be alone together.”

 

“Like I want to be alone with you,” Ashlyn murmurs, brushing her thumb across the top of Ali’s hand. “Not in like a marriage way… just in a right now way.”

 

Ali laughs. “Relax. I get it.”

 

As they walk along, enjoying the comfortable coolness of the night, Ashlyn gets to thinking while Ali uses her free hand to text Kyle. Ashlyn’s never done _this_ before, slipping into almost domesticity with a partner within a few days (hours?) of dating them. Maybe it’s because of the fact they’ve been sharing a bed since before their first date. Maybe it’s because Ali just _fits_ her – she’ll match her word for word, blow for blow. She’ll cover for Ashlyn when she fumbles. She’s beautiful and smart and people like her – almost more than they seem to like Ashlyn. It makes Ashlyn truly wish she could do this properly, with flowers and expensive dinners. But even if she could, she’s pretty sure it wouldn’t feel right. There’s something that feels _safe_ about meeting unconventionally and slipping into this rhythm.

 

It’s the kind of thing that has Ashlyn willing to bet if she isn’t careful, three very dangerous words could slip from her lips. Not because she really feels them. Yet. As she watches Ali’s lips turn up, reading off her screen, she wishes there was a non-weird and not potentially catastrophic way to say _I could see myself falling in love with you someday in a long while but I hope it’s okay if we keep seeing each other until then._

But there isn’t, and Ashlyn is smart enough to know that those words swirling in her head are directly related to a little bit too much whiskey, so instead of saying anything like that she clears her throat, rubbing her neck as she begins to speak.

 

“How’s Kyle?” she asks softly.

 

“He’s good. Kind of pissed at you. You weren’t supposed to like me.”

 

“I can’t believe he didn’t put any restrictions on you honestly, I feel like he knows you way better.”

 

“He knows that he has even less power over me than he has over you,” Ali says with a grin. “At least with you there’s a fear of losing a customer.”

 

“Which I doubt I will.  


“I doubt it too, honestly.”

 

“What’d you tell him?”

 

“That you wanted me so bad you fucked me in the bathroom.”

 

“No you didn’t!” Ashlyn exclaims, her cheeks turning red.

 

“No,” Ali laughs. “I didn’t. I told him you kissed me and you’ve been very sweet and respectful. Much to my chagrin.”

 

“Chagrin, what an SAT word,” Ashlyn says, rolling her eyes as they reach the hotel.

 

“Got to retain some knowledge, since I’ve never actually used my degree.”

 

They take long strides through the lobby, Ashlyn resting her hand on the small of Ali’s back as they wait for the elevator. She leans down, and Ali whimpers at the feeling of her lips on her neck.

 

“You looked beautiful tonight. Just like you did last night,” Ashlyn whispers, her lips trailing up Ali’s neck before she nips at her earlobe. “While you were meeting everyone and while you were dancing and while I had two fingers inside of you.”

 

Ali bites her lip, whining softly as the elevator dings and they step inside, Ashlyn immediately pinning her to the wall and thanking God for what feels like the millionth time that they’re alone.

 

“Have you been thinking about me? Returning the favor and all?” Ashlyn murmurs, her voice low when Ali breaks away from her to catch her breath. Ali nods, speechless for once, as Ashlyn slips her knee between her legs and lets Ali grind down against it – obviously desperate for some friction. She's still wet.

 

Ashlyn bites at Ali’s exposed collarbone, hyperaware of the marks every bite will leave if she’s not careful, then neglecting to be careful. Ali’s hands thread in her hair, then one slides down her body, over her chest, lingering at her belt buckle in a way that makes Ashlyn’s breath hitch, before slipping her hand in Ashlyn’s pocket, reaching for her money clip and tugging it out before gently pushing Ashlyn away as the elevator arrives at their floor.

 

“Come on,” Ali says, tugging gently at Ashlyn’s tie.

 

Ashlyn follows, trying to be eager but maintain some semblance of dominance for what feels like the first time all weekend. She’s usually much more intense with her partners, all pinning them down to the bed and making them _hers_ but Ali has been different – taking the lead in everything from their stance to dragging her off to have sex. She grabs Ali by her hips, pulling her back against her, as Ali unlocks the room.

 

She tugs Ashlyn inside by her tie, pulling her tight against her body and craning her neck to meet her lips. Ali wraps her arms around Ashlyn’s neck, kissing her hard, turning her head before parting her lips, welcoming Ashlyn’s tongue against hers.

 

“You know,” Ali breathes when Ashlyn pulls away, trailing kisses down her jaw and sliding her hands underneath Ali’s dress. “You tell me how beautiful I am and I never tell you how beautiful you are.”

 

“Yeah?” Ashlyn replies, only half listening as she feels heat pooling in her stomach and she traces patterns on Ali’s inner thighs.

 

“Yeah,” Ali says, her voice breathy as Ashlyn continues to leave bite marks on her neck. “You’re really beautiful. I thought that the first time I saw you.”

 

Ashlyn’s hands move farther up Ali’s thighs, palms flat against her skin until she reaches where she’s hottest. She wants to take Ali’s dress off – to tug it over her head and throw her in bed and bury her face between her thighs – but she also doesn’t want to interrupt what sounds like the beginning of a monologue. So instead, she waits, kissing every inch of skin available as Ali continues to speak.

 

“The first time I saw you when I came over with wine and the pizza was late, I thought you were so beautiful when you opened the door, even with your jaw on the floor. And I thought you were cute with me the whole time. And when we were flying and you bought me coffee. And when you were so nervous around your friends and when you put your hand on the small of my back. I felt like _yours_. You’re so beautiful.”

 

“And you’re a sap,” Ashlyn says, laughing against Ali’s neck.

 

“I just wanted to get that out there. That I really think you’re something special. Before we do this.”

 

“You know I think the same thing,” Ashlyn replies, finally making the move and tugging Ali’s dress over her head. Ali moans as Ashlyn runs her hands down her bare sides, looking her up and down before her eyes land on the Penn State logo tattooed on her hip. Ashlyn drops to her knees, almost completely forgetting what she wanted in the first place, and running her thumb over the design.

 

“So is this the tattoo I’m meant to be searching for?” she murmurs, just loud enough for Ali to hear.

 

“Isn’t there something else you could be looking at?” Ali whines, bucking her hips just enough. Ashlyn smirks.

 

“You wanted me to find this tattoo and now that I have I’m going to give it special attention.”

 

So she does, kissing around the border, then over the number 22 inked directly above it. “Is this the number in college you mentioned in the airport?”

 

“Yes,” Ali replies, obviously impatient, her hands threading in Ashlyn’s hair, pressing her down gently. “Please.”

 

Ashlyn ghosts kisses down her hipbones, then her thighs, before rising back to her feet, picking up Ali handily, and laying her on her back in bed. She tugs her tie off, then unbuttons her shirt while Ali watches, biting her lip so hard it’s white underneath. She tugs her shirttails from her pants and shrugs it off before climbing on top of Ali, who wraps her arms around Ashlyn’s neck and pulls her into a slow, long kiss as her hands trace the tattoos on her side before she unbuckles Ashlyn’s belt.

 

She quickly undoes the button and zipper, tugging at the waistband until Ashlyn shimmies enough to get them down to her ankles, before kicking them off. As she does, Ali sits up, unclasping her bra and pulling it off so that when Ashlyn looks back up to meet her, her jaw drops.

  
Ashlyn closes her lips around one nipple, running her tongue over it gently as it hardens beneath her, while she tweaks the other with two fingers. Ali moans, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, her back arching underneath Ashlyn, bucking her hips against Ashlyn’s. Ashlyn kisses down her stomach slowly, almost in awe of how firm and strong Ali is beneath her. And when she finally reaches Ali’s thighs, Ali thrusting against her, she can’t help but moan herself, knowing already how wet Ali is, waiting for her.

 

“You’re sure?” Ashlyn says, her voice soft from her position between Ali’s thighs. Ali groans, and Ashlyn knows it’s because of the feeling of her breath on her clit, and Ashlyn can’t help but give a foolishly lopsided grin as Ali nods the affirmative.

 

When Ashlyn tastes her for the first time, for the _real_ first time, not just on her fingers after the fact, she moans as she runs her tongue over Ali’s clit. Ali’s fingers lace in Ashlyn’s hair, holding her in place as she moves against her.

 

She’s loud, her breathing ragged as she gasps, her hips moving against Ashlyn wildly until Ashlyn slips one finger inside of her, curling it slightly as she continues to trace patterns over Ashlyn’s clit with her tongue.

 

“More, baby,” Ali manages to get out, and Ashlyn smirks against her as she does what she’s told, moving two fingers inside of her as Ali bucks against her.

 

“Ashlyn,” Ali breathes. “I’m so close.”

 

Ashlyn picks up the pace, feeling Ali get close and continuing to move against her as she comes, gasping, her grip on Ashlyn’s hair tightening before going slack altogether. Ashlyn waits until she’s finished before pulling out, moving back up Ali’s body to kiss her deeply.

 

“You’re good?” Ashlyn asks, as Ali catches her breath, running her thumb across Ashlyn’s cheek as she does.

 

Ali nods, biting her lip. “So good. But now that’s twice. And you haven’t gotten anything in return.”

 

“Well…” Ashlyn says, clearing her throat. Ali takes the hint, pushing her gently to roll on top of her. When Ali straddles her, Ashlyn can feel her on her stomach and can’t hold back a low moan.

 

Ali peppers kisses down her neck, biting at her pulse point before smiling against her.

 

“Tell me what you want,” Ali murmurs.

 

"What? You know what I-"

 

"Ashlyn," Ali says, her voice low. "Tell me what you want."

 

“I want you to touch me,” Ashlyn replies, getting the hint, her voice breaking midsentence. Ali smirks, self-satisfied. It’s not often that she’s built up without release, but between their time in the bathroom, the dancing at the wedding, and making Ali come against her, she feels like she’s burning, dying for any contact in the spot she needs most.

 

Ali complies, tugging at the elastic of Ashlyn’s sports bra. “Take this off.” She then moves down, pulling Ashlyn’s boxers down over her hips, biting her lip when Ashlyn takes off her bra, leaving her completely exposed.  

 

“You are so beautiful,” Ali breathes, pressing kisses against the colorful tattoos on Ashlyn’s side. “And sexy and gorgeous and confident. Thank you for bringing me here this weekend.”

 

“Thank you,” Ashlyn responds, her voice raspy. “For coming.” Ali laughs against her, before planting kisses along her hipbones, the fingers on one hand tracing the mermaid tattooed on her thigh while she strokes her slowly with the other.

 

Ashlyn moans at Ali's touch, her head back and her eyes closed. Ali goes to work with her immediately, filling her with two fingers and curling them until Ashlyn whines, her back arching.

 

“That feels good?” Ali murmurs, lowering herself between Ashlyn’s thighs, waiting to taste her.

 

“So good, Alex,” Ashlyn replies, whining when she finally feels Ali’s tongue working against her.

 

She barely tries to hold back the expletives as she comes against Ali, harder than she has in months. She’s out of breath when she finishes, her body relaxing. It’s almost annoying how satisfied with herself Ali looks, licking her fingers clean before giving Ashlyn a peck on the lips and collapsing beside her.

 

“Worth the wait?” Ashlyn breathes when Ali curls into her side, tracing lazy patterns on her stomach.

 

“Mm,” Ali sighs, content. “Very much so."

 

"Happy to hear it."

 

Ali runs her fingers through her hair, turning to check the clock before laying back down. "What time do we have to get up tomorrow?”

 

“We have to meet them at 11.”

 

“So 8?”

 

“At least. Maybe 7. Are you expecting me to go running tomorrow morning?”  


“Only if you don’t plan on making me sweat again tonight,” Ali says, laughing against Ashlyn’s bicep.

 

“I think that can be arranged.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always! Hope you're still digging it. All the love. x


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the wedding weekend!

Ashlyn doesn’t like waking up tangled in someone else – especially when that someone else’s hair is in her mouth. So when she wakes up to just that, her leg between Ali’s, her face buried in Ali’s shoulder, and a little bit of Ali’s hair in her mouth, it takes every ounce of her self control not to bolt from the bed.

 

She knows she could’ve slept for a few more hours, but her phone beeping incessantly on the nightstand on Ali’s side of the bed jolts her awake. Ali rouses a bit more slowly, reacting more to the feeling of Ashlyn leaning over her to reach her phone than to the actual alarm.

 

“Good morning,” Ali says, her voice still thick with sleep.

 

“Hey you,” Ashlyn replies, kissing her forehead as she hovers over her to check her phone and realizing too late how _domestic_ that is.

 

“Do we have to get up?” Ali groans, slipping her arms around Ashlyn’s neck. “Can your friends wait a little bit?”

 

Ashlyn leans down to kiss Ali, her lips shut tight because she hates her own morning breath. “If we wait a little bit, you’re going to be rushed packing and one of us will forget something here. And who knows the next time we’ll get back to Georgia.”

 

Ali sighs before letting Ashlyn go, sitting up when Ashlyn rolls back onto her side of the bed. Her hair is a mess and she is a _vision,_ even just waking up. Ali catches her staring, grinning with her tongue poking between her teeth.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

“The best fake wedding date I’ve ever had.”

 

“You bet your ass I am,” Ali says, getting out of bed. “Can I shower? Or do we not have time?”

 

Ashlyn tries to keep the smirk off her face, propping herself up on one elbow. “Sure, yeah, you can shower. I don’t know if there’s time for _both_ of us to shower though.”

 

Ali thinks for a second, biting her lip before catching on, her eyes going wide before she grins.

 

“Well if you don’t think it’ll be too distracting you could hop in with me.”

 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

\--

 

It takes decidedly too long for them to shower – not that either one is truly complaining – and they end up tossing their things into their bags haphazardly anyway, still soaked to the skin and wrapped in towels. Checkout time is at 10, brunch is at 11, and they’ve got to load the car before they go, which translates into a lot of sprinting around a very small hotel room.

 

At 10:58, Ali is waiting by the door with their bags beside her, Ashlyn does a last sweep of the room, much to Ali’s annoyance.

 

“We have to go or we’re going to miss check out and you’ll have to pay for another night.”

 

“Hold on one second!” Ashlyn replies, holding up a hand as she goes through the room.

 

She checks in the drawers and under the bed, in the bathroom and in the closet they never used, before meeting Ali outside, holding up one of the shoes Ali wore to the wedding.

 

“Do you still want this? I couldn’t find the other one and I assumed you didn’t want to only keep one shoe.”

 

Ali rolls her eyes. “Yes.”

 

“There’s a phrase, you know, when people do things for you,” Ashlyn says, her tone haughty. “I know it’s hard to remember sometimes, don’t worry.”

 

Ali pokes her tongue out, juvenile. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Ashlyn replies, wrapping her arm around Ali’s shoulders. Ali leans into her.

 

When it’s all said and done, room keys turned in and bags shoved in the trunk of the car, it’s 10:15, and they have forty-five minutes to get to brunch a few blocks away. They take advantage of that, fucking like a couple of teenagers in the backseat of the car, under Ashlyn’s coat after she carefully drives the car so it’s tucked in the corner of the parking lot. Ashlyn nearly falters when she hears Ali gasp as she slips her hand into her pants, and she’s sure she has bite marks on her hand after pressing it to Ali’s mouth to keep her from being heard outside the car. And Ashlyn bites down on her own knuckles to keep from moaning when she feels Ali’s tongue against her, maneuvered in a position that can’t be comfortable between her legs.

 

“You’re really all about those romantic gestures aren’t you?” Ali says, laughing and out of breath when they finish, straightening her clothes as she clambers back into the passenger seat.

 

“I haven’t exactly had time to pull out all of the chocolate and flower stops yet,” Ashlyn replies, situating herself behind the wheel of the car.

 

“Is that something I have to look forward to?”

 

“Just you wait,” Ashlyn says, smirking. “You’ll get a bouquet every day. You’ll wish you’d never joked about my romantic gestures. Our first date back in LA is going to be the best date you’ve ever had. Until the one after that, that is.”

 

Ali smiles, biting her lip as Ashlyn puts her sunglasses on and pulls out of the parking lot. “You’re awfully confident.”

 

Ashlyn shrugs. “I’m usually right is all.”

 

When they pull into the lot of the restaurant that brunch is in, Ali places her hand over Ashlyn’s on the gear shift.

 

“Before we go in can I ask you something before we’re in public again until we get back to LA?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“When we get back… how are we going to maneuver this?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” Ali says, twisting her fingers in her lap. “Are we going to not pretend we’ve slept in the same bed and slept together and been dates to something together? Like are we going to rewind it back to square one?”

 

Ashlyn twists in the driver’s seat to face Ali. “I don’t think we have to rewind back to square one. I don’t think we have to act like we barely know each other. Or do all the dumb first date stuff, like waiting three days to call.”  


“I wouldn’t go on a second date with anyone who waited three days to call, just for the record,” Ali responds matter-of-factly.

 

“And I wouldn’t dream of waiting to call you,” Ashlyn replies evenly. “I guess I just mean we shouldn’t be sleeping over with each other and having tons of sex, you know? Maybe just. Going on dates and trying to pace this like normal people. Well normal people who didn’t meet in the _weirdest_ possible way.”

 

“There are definitely weirder ways,” Ali responds, laughing. “But that sounds good. Am I supposed to forget what you look like naked?”

 

“Like that’s even a possibility,” Ashlyn replies, opening the door of the car before heading around and opening Ali’s side. “You ready to do this one more time?”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

\--

 

Ashlyn is convinced she could throw Ali into any situation with her friends and she would do an excellent job. At brunch, even though she knows Kelley and Ann know they’re full of shit, she does seem truly happy and congratulates them repeatedly. She bonds with Ann quickly, crouching beside her seat, mimosa in one hand, to talk all about how beautiful the wedding was.

 

And Ashlyn, she’s glad she’s always been one of the quieter ones, satisfied to hear her friends regale each other with the happenings from the wedding – from the food to the cake to that one bridesmaid who threw up all over her dress on the way home – and meeting Ali’s eye every now and then from across the room. When Ann’s not looking and Ashlyn glances over, Ali gives her a subtle thumbs up and a thousand watt grin.

 

When Kelley gets a minute with Ashlyn alone, she seizes it to grill her, much less rushed than she was the night before. When Ashlyn’s sure she’s explained everything, save the sex in the hotel room and in the back of the rental car, Kelley’s eyebrows are practically into her hairline.

 

“So you’re telling me she’s one of your clients’ sister. He agreed to hook you up with her if you promised _not_ to sleep with her. And then you brought her here, have managed to pass it off to _all of us_ that she’s not actually your girlfriend, slept with her, and decided to start dating her. All in one weekend.”

 

“That’s it,” Ashlyn says, rubbing the back of her neck. “Crazy, right?”

 

“Insane. If there’s anyone who could pull shit like that off it’s you though,” Kelley says, laughing. “You or Tobin, probably.”

  
“Probably.”

 

“How well do you actually know her though? You could get back and she could be crazy.”

 

“I know she’s afraid of tight spaces because she got trapped in an elevator once and I know she went to Penn State and wore her mom’s number. I know she’s a wedding planner and I know she’s really good at making friends. I know she has more stuff in a travel bag for her makeup than I have in my travel bag period. And I know that she’s kind and sweet and genuinely cares about people. And I think she might genuinely care about me. And I genuinely care about her, I’m sure of that.”

 

“And you know if you break her heart you lose a customer right?” Kelley says, laughing.

 

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “That too, I guess.”

 

\--

 

Ali falls asleep on Ashlyn when they get on the plane before they’re even down the runway, her fingers laced with Ashlyn’s. Ashlyn maneuvers around her as they fly back towards Los Angeles, trying not to stir her as she puts on a movie on the screen. She eventually falls asleep too, and is nudged awake by Ali when the flight attendant passes peanuts and water bottles across the row.

 

When they land, Ali seems reluctant to let go of Ashlyn’s hand even as they move towards the baggage claim and lug their things off the carousel. They chat normally, it’s not like they’re never going to see each other again, but Ashlyn’s having trouble reconciling the fact that Ali will not be _right there_ like she has been for the last few days. When they get in their cab, Ali curls around her in the backseat, hand resting gently on Ashlyn’s thigh. Ashlyn is nervous to broach the subject of when they’ll see each other next.

 

Ali kisses her softly outside the car, standing on her toes after helping her tug her things from the trunk.

 

“Thank you for a really nice weekend. It was nice to get away.”

 

“Thanks for coming with me,” Ashlyn replies, her grin lopsided. “Will you text me when you get home?”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“And do you want to go out again some time? Maybe in a less dramatic environment?”

 

Ali nods. “Way less dramatic would be ideal. No lying.”

 

“No lying sounds good,” Ashlyn laughs.

 

\--

 

Ashlyn Harris tells the full story of how she met Ali Krieger to her friends the night before she proposes two years later. It’s not really on purpose – there came a time where she forgot she hadn’t told them – but as they sit in a restaurant a few blocks from the apartment Ashlyn and Ali had moved into together a year prior, her friends in town for emotional support, Ashlyn breaks the news accidentally.

 

“Ali,” Ashlyn says, reading the speech she planned to give Ali in the restaurant they had their second first date in off of a notecard in her shaking hand. “If you had told me that I’d fall in love with someone I met at a wedding a few years ago, I would’ve told you you were crazy. If you had told me that that wedding was our first _date_ and we were going just to trick my friends, I probably wouldn’t have believed you either.”

 

“Hold on,” Abby says, standing and holding up a hand as Kelley claps a hand over her mouth. “What do you mean to trick your friends?”

 

“Did I never tell you?” Ashlyn says in faux shock, still standing with the notecard in her hand. “My bad.”

 

“What do you mean, your bad?” Abby says, kind of incredulous. Syd's eyes are wide. Alex shakes her head, obviously catching on quickly.

 

“I mean I guess we just forgot. It’s been a while. But when Ann and Kelley forced me to bring a date, Kyle hooked me up with Ali and we thought it would be less embarrassing if she came as a girlfriend than as a random stranger. And then… well all of this happened and now here we are,” Ashlyn says with a shrug. "I didn't mean not to tell you guys but after a little while I kind of just forgot."  

 

“So in a way,” Kelley says loudly, wrapping her arm around her wife. “Ann and I are the reason you two fell in love. And the reason we’re all here. So. You’re welcome.”

 

“Thank you,” Ashlyn says, rolling her eyes before pointing at the notecard. “Now can I finish? I have a blind date to propose to tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da, here we are at the end of the story! Thanks for taking the ride, and I hope you liked it :) X


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